Heart of Stone
by coldplaywhore
Summary: Edward, in an effort to make use of his ability to read minds, uses his gifts to rid the truly evil people in the world and protect the innocent. Unfortunately, he never expected her to come along and change his life so drastically. Nothing will be the same. AU Vampward. Rated M
1. Chapter 1

**I told you I'd be back in the New Year! This is some vamp I've had in my head for a few months. It's as canon as I can ever get, and even plays along with some of the themes from Midnight Sun, the half-written EPOV of Twilight, by SM. If you've read Midnight Sun, you should be able to tell those themes rather early on in this story.**

**This will not post daily, I know a lot of you enjoyed that with The Life Aquatic, but it will post as frequently as I can. Each chapter will also be between 700-2,000 words. I can't do a 100 word drabble, or a 12k chapter. It's just not in me. These little chapters mean more frequent updates for you, so let's enjoy that, shall we? This is also darker than I usually write, unless you count Love Will Come Through, which had that stalker storyline going on.**

**Any questions? Feel free to ask, but I don't generally give away plot or shit like that. Yes, the title of the story refers to the song from the BD2 soundtrack. Who else loves it?**

**It's not beta'd. My life mate Risbee did read this back when I first started writing it and she gave me a thumbs up, so thank her for recommending I continue on with this.**

**Sorry for the long AN. I don't own Twilight, but this is as close as I will ever get to it.**

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_Chapter 1_

_Can you keep a secret_

Will you hold your hand

Among the flames

Honey you're a shipwreck

With your heart of stone

_-Heart of Stone, by Iko_

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The late December air is freezing cold, but he feels nothing, not even the snow as it lands softly against his permanently cool skin.

It's dark outside and though a human would have trouble seeing properly, everything is crisp and exact to his eyes. He remains stoic as he watches from the shadows for the man to exit the rundown bar at a little after two o'clock in the morning.

His prey is named Marcus, and he's not a very nice man. Unfortunately, no one realizes this.

Edward Cullen is the exception. He's been watching him fastidiously and listening to his immoral thoughts for three full days. Edward doesn't sleep, eat or drink, his only focus is to see Marcus, and men like him, brought to justice.

Three days ago, while running aimlessly in the woods surrounding Port Angeles, Washington, Edward heard the errant thoughts of Marcus Samuels, a 29 year old grifter, who had just arrived in town from Seattle. Marcus' thoughts contradicted his personality, which was bright and polite. His mind was with dark and destructive images, many of which were aimed at the helpless women of Port Angeles.

The next night, Edward sat in the same dingy bar he was currently observing, listening to Marcus wax poetic to the old bartender about the last woman in his life. What he failed to mention, was that he left her for dead on the side of the US 101 just north of Sequim. Edward called the local police from the pay phone in the bar and provided them with the information on where to find her body, and that a man was boasting about the crime at the bar. When they arrived, Marcus was taken in for questioning and Edward felt a sense of relief that he was off the streets.

Until he found out very late the next night that Marcus was released because they had no evidence to hold him. Edward pretended to befriend the deviant and the more he drank, on Edward's dime of course, the more Marcus revealed about his unsavory past.

Denise, the girl left on the US 101, was the fourth in a string of women he had brutally raped or attacked in Washington State. Though Marcus spoke as though all the women were willing and eager, his memories proved otherwise. The moment Marcus's mind showed one of the women beaten to death in a shower, only to be disposed of like trash in a dumpster in Bremerton, Edward decided to leave because he was unsure of what to do next.

He bristled internally as he left, wishing he could just snap Marcus' head off and be done with it, but he couldn't do that in a crowded bar without revealing his true self. To channel his frustration, Edward ran like a maniac through the woods outside of town and listened for Marcus, waiting for the moment he decides to leave the bar. When the visions running through Marcus' head implied he would be leaving, Edward went to stand in the darkness outside the bar to wait for his prey.

When Marcus steps out though, he is not alone. The short figure at his side is a very pregnant woman, and his hand is gripping her forearm fiercely. For some unknown reason Edward can't hear her thoughts, only his, and they are disturbing to say the least. Edward steps out of the shadows and follows them, eager to get the woman away from his grasp, and even though he has super-human speed, Marcus is quick to lead her around the corner and force her head against the brick wall, choking the air from her lungs.

The long haired brunette struggles and tries to cry out, but she's unable to from the force of his grip on her throat. Marcus slams her head back against the brick and watches, a satisfied smirk on his face, as she tumbles to the ground lifelessly.

Edward pounces forward, his arm wrapping around Marcus' neck as he flies through the air, twisting until a loud crack is heard. Edward shows no remorse as he drops the unresponsive body to the ground and checks for a pulse, a twinge of satisfaction coursing through him when he finds none. Though his throat burns slightly for the taste of human blood, Edward refrains.

He can't let himself be tempted.

Instead, he turns his focus to the brunette at his side, effortlessly picking her up into his arms. The burn in his throat increases tenfold when he realizes she's bleeding from a gash in her head. Without a second thought, he darts into the edge of the inky black forest and races for home, desperate to save her and her unborn child.


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome back! Thanks so much for all your kinds words. I'd like to thank insanemum for nicknaming him VigilanteWard. I think it's rather fitting. I know there's a lot of questions already, but I promise to answer them...in the chapters. Remember, I'm aiming for canon, so the histories for the Cullen's remain mainly unchanged.  
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**I don't own Twilight. I am cheering for the Seahawks and even making a Seahawks cake today. Go Hawks!**_  
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* * *

_Chapter 2_

As he runs, almost effortlessly, through the trees with her fragile and swelled body in his arms, he hears the unwelcome and tense voice of his 'sister' Alice.

"What on earth are you doing, Edward?" she chants repeatedly, but he continues to push past the branches and greenery that surrounds him, virtually dancing in the air over the logs and trees in his way.

Edward is certain there is a way to save her, to give her the life that Marcus tried to take from her, and Carlisle will help him. He knows he will; he just needs to get her to him in time. Edward wordlessly explains to his sister that he needs Carlisle and Rosalie at his home for help. He pleads with her to look into the future to see what it holds, but Alice is vague at best.

"I can't… I don't see a future for either of them, Edward."

"How is that possible?" Edward wonders to himself as he slows and approaches the front door of his cottage, secluded from the house which holds his family. When he steps inside, Carlisle is waiting with Rosalie flanking his side, both of them looking as concerned as he thought they would be. "She has a head wound and probably a concussion, but I'm more worried about the baby. I can't get a read on either of them. There's just…nothing. Alice can't see their future either."

Carlisle wordlessly checks the girls vitals and determines that her pulse is weakening rapidly. Emmett arrives with supplies from the main house and Jasper follows behind him with an ultrasound machine and fetal monitor, as Edward brings the woman into his bedroom, though he's never actually used it for sleep. Carlisle's current position at the Forks Hospital, hundreds of years of experience and his untold wealth, have provided him with everything he needs to help the girl beneath his cold, lifeless fingers.

Jasper stops, his body frozen in place, as he takes in the tempting scent of blood in the room. He is the newest of their group, having joined the Cullen coven back in 1950 along with his mate, Alice. Jasper is also the most recent of them to convert to from human to animal blood. It's been a tough adjustment for him, one that over sixty years of intensive effort still hasn't tamed him entirely. Everyone in the family knows this too.

"Emmett, get Jasper out of here and take him and Esme with you to Portland for supplies for the baby. It will be delivered tonight and we need to be prepared," barks out Carlisle, a disconcerting frown upon his smooth face. Emmett grabs his brother and leads him away, both of them relived to be free of the scent of the beautiful girls' blood. Within seconds, they have met up with their 'mother' Esme, and are rushing south through the forest to Portland, a list from Alice shoved in the pocket of Esme's jeans.

Edward assists Carlisle as much as he can, strapping the fetal monitor around the woman's stomach, while Rosalie prepares the utensils necessary to deliver the child. There are white towels from Edward's bathroom at the ready, and Edward tenses as he looks at the scalpel positioned perfectly on Carlisle's medical tray.

"Where did you find her?" Carlisle questions, his face as still as his heart.

"London's bar down on Palmer St. in Port Angeles."

"What were you doing in a bar, Edward? It's not like you can drink," Rosalie remarks snidely as she stands prepared, waiting for instructions from her father figure Carlisle. "You don't look a day over eighteen years old."

Rosalie was turned when Carlisle found her lying in a gutter and on the verge of death, following a brutal attack by the man who would have been her husband, had he been given 24 more hours. She wasn't particularly grateful when Carlisle sired her, but she was almost gleeful when she exacted her meticulous revenge on Royce King and the other men who had harmed her. They are the only people Rosalie ever killed. She was meant as a mate for Edward, but they were like oil and water whenever they got together, and until Emmett was turned following a bear attack in 1935, Edward could barely stand to be around Rosalie. They aren't the best of friends, but they tolerate each other. It is the best they can do.

"I was there for Marcus…the man who raped, and then left for dead, four women since July 2011. He needed his…"

"What he needs was not for you to decide, Edward," Carlisle interrupts as Edward fights the urge to hold the hand of the woman at his side. "That's why there are policemen."

"Who never do their job," Edward counters as Carlisle glares at him before setting back to work on the brunette on Edward's bed.

Her coloring is pale, her lips are extremely chapped and she has a huge bruise on her arm and neck, all of which concern Carlisle. "What happened to her?"

Edward explains to Carlisle and Rose about his intentions to follow the man and provide his own brand of justice, but when he came out of the bar with the pregnant woman in tow, his plans changed dramatically. The man had choked her, knocked her unconscious and was about to sexually assault her when Edward charged at him and broke his neck. There is no repentance in Edward's voice, and he knows he would do it again if he was faced with the same situation.

"Is she going to be alright? I'd prefer to just send her home like tonight never happened," Edward explains as Carlisle glances at the fetal heart monitor and his face grows more concerned.

"This is happening tonight, Edward, and it's not going to be easy. The baby's heart rate is dropping."


	3. Chapter 3

**So yesterday I posted a teaser for this chapter over at the Fictionators, but since I tinker with my stuff until the last minute, it's changed slightly. Sorry LOL. I should quit with the teasers LOL.**

**Alot of you have some very interesting theories on this story which have entertained me. Just remember... this is as canon as I can get. That's why Rose is a bitch, Esme is a sweetheart and Alice is certifiably insane. :)**

**I don't own Twilight. I did see Zero Dark Thirty the other night. Awesome movie.**

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_Chapter 3_

"I'm flying blind here because I have no medical history on this woman, but from the ultrasound, I think it's safe to assume she's at least 34 weeks along, which isn't ideal, but I have no choice. We have to perform a C-section," Carlisle states firmly as Rosalie appears at his side, eager to assist in any way she can. She has no formal medical training, unlike Carlisle who has been a practicing doctor for hundreds of years, but back in Rochester when she was still a human, Rosalie helped her friend Vera give birth to her son, Henry. "Can you read her mind? Get me something?"

"I told you before, there's nothing," Edward answers coolly, as Carlisle and Rosalie adjust the woman, spreading her legs open so that he can examine her properly. They would have all held their breath, if only they could breathe, waiting on the outcome of the exam. As Carlisle pulls his bloody gloved hand from her body, he immediately begins barking orders at both Edward and Rosalie.

Edward rushes back up to the house to get the anesthesia which Carlisle has insisted on, and when he returns, Carlisle and Rosalie are both clad in surgical masks, with rubber gloves on, ready to cut the girl open. The entire scene is very surreal to Edward and he can't help but pause as he watches the situation unfold before him. "The heartbeat on the baby is faint, Edward. We have to hurry if we are going to save her."

"Her?" Edward questions, as he steps forward. Though usually any sort of medical emergency has no effect on him, he can't help himself now. He knows this is his fault.

"Yeah, the ultrasound shows that this woman is expecting a daughter." Carlisle administers the anesthesia and he waits as long as he can before he cuts into her abdomen to free to struggling baby. "Rosalie, make sure the blood is the ready for the transfusion, she's losing a lot more than I expected."

Edward watches Carlisle operate, his anxiety and remorse at an all-time high for not being able to save this woman from this horrendous fate.

He first saw her earlier in the night at the bar, clearing off tables and being genial to most of the patrons, with the exception of Marcus, of course. Edward never in a million years expected Marcus to show any interest in her because based on the visions in his mind that Edward was able to see, Marcus had a specific type, and women who were 8 months pregnant were not it. The only thing this woman had going for her that Marcus liked, was that she was weak and blended into the background. He obviously assumed she wouldn't be missed by any family or friends.

She was quiet, kept to herself and very discreet. Hell, it wasn't until she came out of the bar with Marcus, that Edward even noticed that he couldn't hear her thoughts. Surely, he should have heard thoughts of distress and fear, right? Perhaps even thoughts of her pleading for mercy for herself and her unborn child? In fact, it still concerns Edward that he can't hear her, but it also makes him wonder… what makes her so different than everyone else?

The sound of Carlisle cutting into her skin pulls Edward from his mind and he returns his focus to his family, while he's also in awe of how strong Carlisle and Rosalie are. They are having no reaction to the scent of her blood, which is currently burning Edward's throat with the intensity of a thousand suns, but to him this is his penance for not being fast enough to save her from this hideous destiny.

As he looks on in the bright light of his bedroom, Edward can't help but notice that she's pretty, but he wouldn't call her beautiful. Her skin is dull, her eyes are closed but the skin there is dark, like she is lacking sleep or is severely troubled. Edward wonders about her life before today. Where does she live? Where are her parents, or the child's father, for that matter? Why was she working so late on a weeknight at a dive bar on the seedy side of Port Angeles?

Each question breeds more, until finally his train of thought is completely interrupted by the sound of a screaming baby and the sight of a woman writhing in pain, convulsing and jerking madly, before stilling completely, as she begins to die on Edward's bed.

"Carlisle, do something," Edward pleads, imaging the baby struggling to survive without its mother. The Cullen's certainly couldn't raise the child without arousing suspicion and how the hell would they explain everything if they turned the infant over to the proper authorities. This was a clusterfuck of epic proportions and Edward knew it. Regret begins to sink in, but he refuses to leave this baby without its mother. Though Edward has very few memories of his own mother, Elizabeth Masen, he knows that she sacrificed everything for her son. He can't help but think that this woman would do the same if she was placed into a similar situation. "She has to live. She has to…"

"I'm trying, Edward." Carlisle attempts to stop the bleeding from the woman's abdomen, sewing her up as quickly as he can, while he insists on Edward giving her mouth to mouth resuscitation. He pumps rapidly at her chest and tries to breathe life into her, to no avail.

A few minutes later, unable to make any headway in reviving her, Edward does the only thing he can think of to make this situation better, he bites her, sinking his teeth first into her neck and then into each wrist. The burn of her blood singes his tongue, but he manages to resist temptation as he pulls away, to face the shocked expressions of both Carlisle and Rosalie.

He will turn her into one of them, so that she can live for her daughter, if that's what they do.


	4. Chapter 4

**Welcome back. It's nice to see you again! One of my lovely readers reminded me last chapter that Edward went to medical school twice, but I'm ignoring that little fact. Like I said, it's not 100% canon, but as good as I can get LOL. Things will be different, obviously.**

**Hey beachcomber, I never heard back from you in regards to your PM. Find me.**

**I hope you all continue to enjoy!**

**I don't own Twilight. This little baby is all mine though.**

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_Chapter 4_

"Edward," Carlisle shouts, fury rolling off of him. Carlisle slams his hands down on the nearby table covered in medical tools and it cracks under the pressure of his immense strength. "What have you done? Do you realize the implications of changing this young woman?"

"I just… I can't let the child live without its mother," Edward states, as he wipes her tempting blood from his lips, removing all traces of it. He didn't drink from her, though the thought crossed his mind briefly after he bit her initially, he believes he has infected her with enough of his venom to make the change begin immediately.

"So instead you choose to have this woman become immortal and deal with the hunger, the need to feed, the constant burning in her throat that she will have every time she looks at her daughter?" Carlisle counters as Edward lowers his head remorsefully. To be honest, he hadn't considered all of the repercussions; he had just followed his gut.

"I didn't think-"

"You're right, you didn't think," Carlisle interrupts as Edward turns and looks at his 'father'. Edward hasn't heard Carlisle this angry in all the years he's known him, which has been since 1918 when Carlisle changed him in Chicago. "How could you be this impulsive?"

"How is this any different from you changing me?" Edward snaps back as he stands, staring down the man who has been his rock for so long. "My parents died and you changed me because my mother begged you to save me. She knew you were special. I think if this woman knew that I could keep her together with her daughter, she would have asked the same of me."

"Well, we don't know that, do we?" Carlisle's voice is quieter, and not nearly as frantic as it had been moments earlier, because he knows Edward may be right. Had this woman asked to be changed, he would have done the same as he had done for Elizabeth, Edward's mother.

"We will… when she finishes changing." Edward glances down at the lifeless body splayed out on his now tattered and bloodied bed, before striding out of the room, his body conveying confidence and his mind full of remorse.

In the living room, he finds Rosalie gently bouncing the tiny baby who is draped in a fluffy white bath towel from Edward's bathroom, and a newly returned Alice. "Esme just sent me a text. They bought the essentials and will be back soon. She said everything else that is needed will be bought online."

"Yeah, cause that's not suspicious… having dozens of boxes delivered to our house." Carlisle sighs as he follows Edward into the kitchen, which basically holds no purpose for their family. Of course, now that there is a human baby in the house for the foreseeable future, the kitchen will most definitely see some use.

"Do you ever think maybe this is all a blessing," Rosalie asks, as she strokes the rosy cheek of the newborn. "Perhaps everything happened as it should? Like this precious little girl was brought into our life for a reason?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Rosalie," Edward responds harshly. "This was all one huge mistake on my part. I was doing my usual superhero antics, as Jasper likes to call them, and I fucked up. I don't think this baby or this woman was meant to come into our lives at all. However, I won't set them out in the cold alone. I am her sire after all."

Edward paces anxiously around the room, awaiting the return of the rest of his family, while Rosalie assists Carlisle in checking out the overall health of the baby girl. She's clearly hungry, because she keeps making small sucking noises, but Carlisle is relived to find that she appears very healthy. Rosalie beams at this news and Edward rolls his eyes at his sisters' excitement. After all, it's no surprise to anyone that the one thing Rosalie wants most in the world is a child, and this one has basically been dropped in her lap for the time being.

The entire cottage is tense and Edward and Carlisle take turns going into the bedroom to check on the silent girl. They both know full well how painful the process of transformation can be, but neither of them has heard a peep or seen a shake, from this unknown girl.

"What do you know about this girl?" Carlisle asks, breaking the silence. Edward shakes his head solemnly because he knows nothing. She worked at the bar, but he hadn't seen her there previously, so he figures she must have been a new employee. "She had no purse or bag with her?"

Edward thinks back in his memory and recalls her having a small brown handbag with her when she walked out of London's. "There was something-" Edward begins, but Carlisle is quick to silence him.

"Go back there and find what you can. We need to know everything we can. Who she is, where she came from and what she was doing there." Edward nods and doesn't hesitate to rush to the door, sprinting out into the cold night air as he runs back to Port Angeles at break-neck speed.

Edward slows as he approaches the bar and when he glances down at his watch, he sees it's only just past four in the morning. There are no cops, no people and no signs of life whatsoever, as he approaches the alleyway where he left the body of the vile excuse for a human being. Marcus is still lying there, with his eyes wide open and his neck turned awkwardly. Edward fights the urge to smile at his victim as he sees the small handbag out of the corner of his eye. He grasps it quickly and races back through the wilderness completely undetected.

Two miles from his small cottage, Edward slows down and reaches into the bag to see if he has found anything useful. There are some dollar bills shoved in haphazardly, no doubt her tips for the evening, along with a few random business cards, a prepaid cell phone and a small wallet.

Edward fingers move very slowly, especially for him, as he opens the wallet and sees a driver's license perched within it.

_Isabella Marie Swan. _

_Date of Birth, September 13, 1987._

That makes her 25, Edward muses as he envisions the girl on his bed and figures she doesn't look a day over 19. Edward stops and leans against a tree, as he examines the license again, the dark of the night no issue for his exacting eyes.

The address listed is one in Seattle, somewhere near the campus of the University of Washington, if Edward's assumption is correct. As he puts her license back, Edward notices a small newspaper clipping, in the fold where her bills should be located. He pulls it out and shakes his head gently as he reads the small obituary that states Charles Swan was killed by a drunk driver in the early hours of January 1, 2010 when he was returning home from visiting friends in Clallam Bay. Edward doesn't finish the article, instead choosing to run back home as quickly as he can.

Charles Swan.

Edward knows the name sounds familiar, but he just can't place it. As he dashes into the cottage mere seconds later, the entire family is standing around watching Edward with rapt attention.

"Her name is Isabella Marie Swan. Daughter of Charles and Renee Swan, He died in 2010 and his ex-wife passed in 2004," Edward announces as he steps through the threshold. Esme and Carlisle both look at each other, their faces mirroring their shock.

"How did you not recognize her, Carlisle?" asks Esme quietly as Carlisle looks shattered.

"Do you know her?" Emmett asks Carlisle as he nods his head.

"Not her… her father. He was Police Chief Swan."

**Yep, I killed off Renee and Bella is 25. See... it's not completely canon :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Happy Sunday! I thought I would post as I am bed-ridden (I think I bruised my ass. Sadly, I wasn't doing anything exciting at the time.) and my beloved Seahawks are losing. This chapter is being brought to you by the beta talents of the lovely beachcomberlc, who has agreed to help me out. She's a doll and even has the next three chapters back to me already.**_  
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**I don't own Twilight. I am praying to god and superman, to let my Seahawks win.  
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_Chapter 5_

Carlisle begins to explain to everyone that though he knows _of_ Isabella, he has never actually met her, until now. She had been living in Seattle when her parents passed away, and though she attended the funeral, and Esme and Carlisle had seen her there, they hadn't stayed for the reception afterwards.

"I had dealings with Chief Swan on a weekly basis at the hospital. Domestic abuse, car accidents, and locals just being stupid… there were so many times I spoke to him. He didn't speak much of his daughter though." Edward sees visions in Carlisle's mind, flitters of past meetings and interactions with the Chief, and Edward recognizes the man, even though he rarely goes into the town of Forks anymore, as he prefers his anonymity far too much.

Carlisle discusses what he knows of the Chief's history with his family. He's divorced, his daughter moved in with him for her final year of high school back in 2004 after her mother passed away. "So, she's known in town then?" Jasper adds as Carlisle nods his head. "I guess this means we're moving, again?"

"I think it's a little premature to make that assumption," Esme states firmly, after she had just finished putting a diaper onto the baby before she grabs a can of formula and heads into Edward's unused kitchen to try and make a bottle for the baby, who is now fussing slightly in Rosalie's arms.

"If I'm not mistaken, once she went off to college, Charlie tended to visit her in Seattle." Carlisle easily recalls a conversation prior to Thanksgiving 2006 where he discussed visiting with his children for the holidays, as most people in town assumed that the Cullen children were off at college, and Charlie had confided in visiting his daughter at the University of Washington.

"All of this begs the question, what was she doing in Port Angeles?" Jasper adds as they all look around the room, wondering the exact same thing.

"Well, until she's awake and we've had time to discuss everything with her, we're not going anywhere. Esme, is the formula done? I think little Lily would like some," Rosalie states as she rocks the child more, trying to calm her. Esme returns moments later with the completed bottle and when Rosalie offers it to the baby, slipping the nipple against her lip, the tiny girl takes it eagerly.

"Uh… she's named Lily?" Emmett questions, as Rosalie shrugs her shoulders slightly before sitting down on the couch. Most women would get a sore arm from clutching the baby in the same position for so long, but not Rosalie. She looks completely at home holding the small girl in her grasp.

"I thought it was fitting."

"Don't you think that's for Isabella to decide?" Edward snaps.

"I would say the same thing about her being transformed into a vampire, but she didn't get the chance to decide," Rosalie responds through clenched teeth. Carlisle comes to her side and grips her shoulder tightly, causing her to turn to face her father.

"I think it's for the best that we just call her 'baby' or 'little one' for now. Edward is correct that it should be Isabella's decision on what to name her daughter. It's too late to give her the choice to change into one of us, but we can at least give her this, Rosalie." Everyone nods solemnly and the room grows quiet, except for the baby who is happily sucking at her bottle.

Edward stands, and immediately heads into his bedroom, wanting to see Isabella again for himself. Rosalie is right, he took a very important decision from her in impulsively deciding to change her, but even now that he knows who she is, he doesn't regret it. There's a tiny baby in the other room who needs her mother, regardless of that fact that she may need to stay clear of her for the first little while, until she's no longer a danger.

"Can you see anything?" Edward asks, as he hears Alice approach him. She stands anxiously behind him and when she reaches out to grab Isabella's hand, she begins to shake her head.

"Nothing. Usually when I am this close to someone, I can read almost every aspect of his or her future. With this girl, it's like she doesn't have one, even though I know she will."

"It's frustrating as hell, Alice. I've come to rely on your sense."

"As I've come to rely on yours and even Jasper's."

"Yeah, we might want to keep him handy when she wakes up, so he can calm her down. Surely she will be out for blood."

"Literally, right?" Alice laughs lightly as Edward rolls his eyes. "Maybe when she awakens things will be different, but right now there's nothing I can tell you that you don't already know."

"Thanks anyways." Edward sighs and reaches out tentatively for the hand of the girl draped against his bed. He can see a grimace on her face, no doubt from the pain she's currently suffering, but she's tranquil otherwise. It reminds him of when she was lying lifeless in the alley just a few hours earlier.

When Edward first decided to be this anti-hero vigilante that he has become, he never expected to turn anyone. In fact, he feared trying to kill his prey, only to have them turn around and become a killer vampire. He knows there have been some which the Volturi, the governing body of vampires so to speak, have had to take care of, but he takes great pride in not having bitten any of his victims.

Most of them are strangled. Some have had their neck snapped. For others, he makes it look like an accident of some sort. He's even left a few unconscious in front of police stations with notes affixed to them detailing their crimes, because he truly believed they could be converted from their life of crime. Not Marcus though. There was no redemption for his sick and twisted soul.

It's almost an hour later when Edward steps from his room and finds the house is almost empty. Rosalie is tending to the baby, who is fast asleep in her arms, and Esme is pulling tags from all the purchases she made in Portland.

"She's really sort of beautiful, you know?" Edward says, as he looks down at the cherubic little girl rocking tightly in Rosalie's arms.

"That she is," Esme concurs. "I hope you don't mind, but I ordered a bassinet from an online store. It will be delivered in two days. We're not sure when Isabella will wake, and Rosalie can't stay here and hold the little one on a permanent basis, so we needed to make some sort of concession."

"That's fine."

"Would you prefer we kept her up at the main house… in case things get a bit out of control when Isabella wakes up?" Esme asks. She'd always been one to err on the side of caution, Edward muses to himself as he smiles at his mother.

Though Edward came to join Carlisle a few years before Esme did, from the moment she joined their family he always thought of her as a mother figure. She was concerned when he first began his mission to rid the world of parasites like Marcus, but she no longer voices her concerns. After all, Edward has heard them hundreds of times before. However, this was something he thought Esme was right about.

"We should probably separate them a little closer to the time when we think Isabella will come to." Rosalie agrees with them both, but Edward does a double take as he looks back at his sister, something in her mind calling to him.

"What were you just thinking?"

"Just that… she smells odd… the baby that is."

"Why would you think that?"

"It's nothing to be concerned about, Edward. I just thought that maybe she would smell a bit more…tempting… but she doesn't. If anything, I'm a little repulsed by her scent," Rosalie adds simply. Edward knows she harbors no ill-will or desire for the baby's blood, but he still finds the concept rather interesting. However, none of them have been in such close proximity to a newborn to test this theory out…except Carlisle.

"Maybe she just needs her diaper changed?"


	6. Chapter 6

**_This should have been posted days ago, but stupid RL hates me these days and will continue to do so for the immediate future, so chapters may take 3-4 days instead of 1-2. Sorry. Hate the game, not the player LOL  
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_**Thanks beachcomberlc, you make this shit look pretty.**  
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_**I don't own Twilight. I still have a sore tushie.  
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_Chapter 6_

Carlisle walks into the cottage mere seconds later; having been told by Alice that he was needed there. When Edward explains how the baby is not particularly tempting to either Rose or him, Carlisle is a bit concerned.

"So let me get this straight, this baby girl whom Rosalie has been holding for the past five hours at least, suddenly doesn't smell good? Did you check her diaper?" he questions with a small grin on his face as Esme chuckles in the background.

"It's just…" Edward pauses, struggling to find the proper words that will make Carlisle take him seriously. "You've been around babies before, have you ever smelled such a… pungent… scent on one of them?" Carlisle moves closer to Rosalie and immediately lowers his face to the baby's head, taking in a deep breath. The baby doesn't even move as Carlisle lets out a small gasp and steps away quickly. "See…there's something different."

"There is, but I'm not quite sure what it is. I will admit that I haven't smelt anything like that on a baby before." Edward sees a look of concern flash across Carlisle's face, but it's gone immediately, which only piques Edward's interest more.

Esme comes to Carlisle's side and wraps herself around him. She looks up at her husband with nothing but pure adoration as he kisses her temple. "Let's just count our blessings that the baby is fine, and none of us are attracted to the scent of her blood. When Isabella comes to, and things have settled down a bit, we'll get it all figured out, alright?"

Edward and Rosalie are both placated for the time being, but he can't help but feel like there is something he's not being told. When Carlisle leaves to hunt with Esme, Edward heads back into his bedroom to keep vigil at Isabella's side.

*~HoS~*

Three days later, there's still no change in Isabella. She continues to lie motionless on the bed and her daughter is thriving, thanks to the help of all of the Cullens. Due to the complete lack of craving when they are around the infant, everyone has bonded rather closely with the baby. Even Jasper has grown to adore her, forgetting his initial reluctance to be anywhere near her. However, Rosalie and Esme both have the most prominent motherly instinct of the family and are constantly caring for her.

Emmett and Jasper put together the bassinet when it arrived the day before, and though it's available for the baby to sleep in, Rosalie is always hesitant to put her down to rest. Of course, when Rose cannot stave off the urge to hunt any longer, Esme reassures her that everything will be fine and that the little one, who Emmett has taken to calling 'Tiny', will most likely sleep the entire time she is gone. It's with reluctance that Rosalie finally agrees to go hunt with Emmett, leaving Esme, Edward and Carlisle alone in the small cottage.

Edward is perched on a stool next to Isabella's bed, where he has been most of the past three days, still as a statue. He's often felt the urge to reach out and take her hand in his, but he never does.

As the days progress, Edward finds himself more intrigued with the woman whose breath he has taken. He's been watching the news and there has been no report of a missing person in Forks or Port Angeles. The news did report the death of Marcus Samuels and they said that no foul play is suspected in his death, assuming it was the result of an accident. However, Edward is also made aware that they are investigating Samuels for several unsolved murder cases in Washington, something which gives him cause for relief.

"You should take a break to hunt too, son," Carlisle states as he grips Edward's shoulder, offering him support. "She'll wake soon enough."

"Doesn't it seem like it's taking a while?" Edward questions as Carlisle shakes his head slowly before moving to the opposite side of the bed to check on Isabella's vitals. It's just his intuition as a doctor to want to care for his patients; however, he knows he will find a very faint pulse under her fragile skin. "It didn't take this long when you changed Emmett."

"Everyone is different, Edward. You know this. Even though Emmett's change was extremely fast, you may recall that Esme's change was a rather slow process. In what I know from my years in England, and even Italy with the Volturi, no two transformations are the same."

Edward hangs his head briefly before lifting it to stare once more at the body before him. Alice took it upon herself to change Bella from her ripped and bloodied pregnancy clothing, into a pair of jeans and a dark blue blouse. The curve of her pregnant stomach is completely gone and Edward can't help but notice that her skin is even paler than he remembered. He does a double take and also notices that the bruises on her body appear to be fading and her lips look red and full, no longer dry and chapped, like they were when he brought her to his home on the verge of death.

Suddenly, there is a jolt in her body and both Edward and Carlisle take a step back, looking at each other in amazement.

"Esme, take the baby up to the house please and send down Jasper," Carlisle calls across the house, as he hears the rapid movement of his wife and then the sharp closing of the front door. "I think maybe things are finally progressing. Are you ready for this? For the wrath you might face for having taken away her choice?"

"Not in the least," Edward admits as Jasper jogs through the bedroom door and pauses as he looks down at the still body.

"Well now, it looks like we have some fun ahead of us then." Jasper laughs, as all three men look down at the bed in anticipation.

There is an audible gasp of breath from the body as Isabella's eyes shoot open to reveal their new blood red color.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you for your patience and your super-kind reviews. When my RL dies down, I promise more frequent chapters. I finally wrote one today, isn't that awesome? Big thanks to beachcomberlc for her beta work. I know this chapter is short, but I promise if I can write another one this weekend, I will post Chapter 8._  
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**I don't own Twilight. Unlike SM, my vampires will curse! So be prepared.  
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_Chapter 7_

She's floating. Lifeless. Breathless. Motionless.

It's all very surreal to her and she's uncertain if she is dreaming or unable to wake from a nightmare.

Flashes of memories appear before her closed eyes and she sees her mother's headstone in Phoenix and then her father's in Forks. There are people offering her condolences, her visions flittering back and forth between each of the funerals. For a moment, she is at her father's gravesite, her fingers ghosting over his name until finally she looks down and sees her protruded stomach, her hand moving smoothly over it.

In another vision, she's dancing with a man whose face is unknown to her. He's taller than her, very dapper and gentlemanly, and smells delicious. Suddenly, she feels liquid pooling in her mouth and as she rapidly opens her eyes, everything is illuminated and so clear to her, but she has no idea where she is.

"Isabella?" she hears a voice call out to her, as she leaps weightlessly across the room and feels the cool skin of the speaker clutched beneath her grasp. Before she has a chance to understand what is going on, her emotions suddenly shift and Isabella feels relief, happiness and remorse, all at once.

"Thanks Jasper," the voice responds, as she turns her head, cocking it to the side, as she observes the man before her. The one she, only moments ago, attempted to strangle.

"I think she's confused and trying to figure out what is going on," a second man adds, and Isabella stares at him, thinking she recognizes him. His blonde hair, chiselled features, and calm demeanor seem to put her at ease, but as she recalls a memory, Isabella grows tense again.

"You were at my father's funeral," she states evenly as Carlisle simply nods in return. "How do I know you? Who are these men? What have you done to me?" she asks frantically, her emotions changing rapidly.

"I'm Carlisle Cullen. I'm a doctor over at Forks General Hospital, and these are my sons, Edward and Jasper." Isabella paces around the room rapidly, immediately confused by her speed until something more important hits her. Her hand covers her now flat stomach and she looks up at the men, furious. "Your daughter was born and I can assure you she's perfectly healthy. My family has been tending to her for the past few days."

"A few days?" she repeats loudly, her mind moving a mile a minute with all the new information she's attempting to process. Her daughter was born and she's being cared for, which is somewhat of a relief, but why are all these other things happening to her?

Why can she see so clearly? Why is she moving so quickly? What on earth is she doing in this house and why do these people have her?

"Have you kidnapped me for some sort of experiment?" Isabella asks tentatively, as Jasper lets out a laugh at her side and her anger subsides slightly. "What is this guy doing to me? Why don't I feel angry at you? What in the fuck is going on?"

"Isabella-" Edward begins to explain, but he is quickly interrupted.

"If you must know, I prefer to go by Bella," she states acerbically.

"Alright then, Bella," Edward corrects as he offers her a small smile, but her face remains stoic. "I was at London's Bar four nights ago when you were working there. Why you were working at such a late stage in your pregnancy I don't understand but…"

"My employment is none of your concern. Not that I have a job left after being away for four bloody days," Bella snaps at Edward as he holds up his hands in defense.

"Anyways, you left with a man named Marcus Samuels, who was not a very nice man…" Bella sees flashes in her memory of working that night, and briefly recalls seeing Edward, but when she remembers being informed that she was done for the night…she shivers. She's not cold; she's scared.

"That's putting it mildly," Jasper adds, his southern drawl evident in his remark.

"He attempted to rape you in an alleyway outside the bar and he knocked you unconscious." Edward pauses, because he can see that Bella wants to ask him something, but of course he still can't read her mind.

"He was going to rape a pregnant woman? Who in the fuck does that?" she yells out, unable to grasp the strength of her voice as it reverberates loudly from the walls. "Jesus fuck, even my yelling is loud as hell."

"You'll learn to deal with it," Jasper remarks as Carlisle frowns at him. Edward ignores both of them and steels his nerves, going ahead to tell her all the gruesome details. After all, who wouldn't be upset at being told that someone was murdered to save them, but that they had to be turned into a vampire in order to be truly saved.

"I killed Marcus to prevent him from killing you. Unfortunately, you already had head trauma and were knocked unconscious. I brought you home to Carlisle, hoping he could assist, but you were in labor. Tiny… I mean, your daughter… was delivered that same night. You were bleeding so much… Carlisle was trying to stop it… I didn't really have a choice." Edward's voice falters, his remorse finally setting in, as Carlisle offers him a pat on the shoulder for support.

"What choice didn't you have? What have you done to me?" Bella asks frantically as she pushed at Jasper, who is trying to calm her, but her intense strength causes him to be thrown across the room, knocking pictures from the wall.

"I had to save you for your daughter, so I changed you."

"You changed me? Into what?" Bella bristles as Edward lets out a small sigh.

"You're a vampire…like the rest of our family."


	8. Chapter 8

_**What's this? Another chapter so quickly? Yeah, for some reason I actually had time to write and edit this weekend. Thanks again to beachcomberlc for her superb beta work. I'm sorry I didn't have time to respond to all the lovely reviews, but I'm so thrilled at the response this story is getting**  
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_**I don't own Twilight. Unless you count the DVD's and books. I do own those.  
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_Chapter 8_

Bella moves backward quickly, until she is pressed against the bookshelves, and everyone in the room is staring at her.

"Can you repeat that?" she asks, even though she knows she heard him correctly. In fact, she notices that she can hear things she couldn't before, like the sounds of leaves rustling on the trees outside and movement outside the house. Perhaps it's a small animal, she guesses.

"We're vampires, Bella, but not of the ordinary Dracula sense, though those do exist," Edward states as Bella's eyes grow wide with shock. What in the hell kind of world has she been pulled into, she wonders to herself as her hands grip the bookshelves so tightly that the wood beneath her fingers begin to crack.

"Edward, you don't need to cause her additional worry. I'm sure Bella is already anxious enough about the change that has just occurred. How about we take this one step at a time, alright?" Carlisle explains as Bella nods slowly, unable to get a grasp on her movements. Either they are far too fast or much too slow, there is no in between at the moment. "Edward is correct, we are vampires, Bella. We don't mean you any harm; please understand that at the very least."

"How about you start by giving me the basics? Where are we?"

"We haven't left Forks." Bella considers this for a moment, but as she looks out the window at the dense forest and sees minuscule snowflakes falling, she knows Carlisle is being honest with her.

"Alright then… who are you?" Bella requests as she points at Jasper, wanting him to go first.

"I'm Jasper Whitlock, ma'am," he says smoothly. "I was changed back in 1863 during the Civil War by some rather underhanded vampires who wanted me to train newborns, like you, to fight. I left them when I realized their intentions and traveled for a while until I found Alice waiting for me in Philadelphia." Jasper can't help the shy smile that crosses his face as he thinks about his mate.

"Alice?"

"She's my mate and I'm sure she's dying, well not literally seeing as technically she's already dead, to meet you," Jasper chuckles at his own joke before he turns to Carlisle, giving him his chance to speak.

"As I already told you, I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen and I'm the patriarch of this motley group of kids. I was changed back in 1663 while trying to trap a vampire in the streets of London, England. I couldn't return home and I tried to kill myself several different times because I didn't think I could handle this way of living, which is not an easy thing to do, by the way, but eventually I found a way to resist the temptation of human blood-"

"So wait," Bella interrupts, completely intrigued. "You don't eat humans? What do you eat then?"

"We like to consider ourselves vegetarians," Edward grins subtly.

"So broccoli, salads, nuts and berries…that kind of thing?" Bella asks, feeling rather dumb. She's never heard of a vegetarian vampire before, and she has a feeling that no one else has either.

"No…animals," Carlisle corrects. "Over my many centuries I've been able to develop a sort of immunity to the scent of human blood. It no longer appeals to my base vampire instincts. My entire family follows this way of life. If they didn't, they wouldn't be here with me."

"What about him… Edward?" Bella points at Edward, who raises his eyebrows in challenge. "What's his deal?"

"Me? I was changed by Carlisle in the early 1900's in Chicago where he was working as a doctor. I was dying of Spanish influenza and my mother begged him to spare my life by any means necessary. It was this line of thinking that caused me to change you. You wouldn't have made it otherwise and Tiny would be… she'd be motherless." Edward tries to gauge Bella's impression of everything she has just heard, but her face is still. She'd be excellent at poker, he thinks to himself as she turns to look at Carlisle once more.

"How many of them are you… are we?" Bella didn't want to associate herself with this…coven. Not yet anyways. She didn't intend to stay with them, but she also couldn't fathom being alone. What would she do with her daughter?

"Well, in our house there are seven, eight with you now."

"And how many of us are there in the world?" Maybe there was someone else out there, someone who wasn't responsible for her predicament that she could stay with, Bella thought to herself. After all, regardless of their vampirism, they seemed pretty…normal.

"Hundreds, if not more."

Bella slides down the floor, her back still against the hard edge of the bookshelves, as she pulls her knees to her chest. She's having trouble discerning fact from fiction, fantasy from reality. All of this seems like a surreal nightmare to her, but then she looks down at her flat stomach and knows it can't be a sham.

Her mind is awash of memories from the months prior to today; Bella's doubts about motherhood, her reluctance to inform the father about the baby and his subsequent refusal to be in their lives once she finally did reveal her precarious situation to him. "Where is my daughter?"

"She's up at the main house with the rest of the family. She's being very well-cared for."

"She's not lunch?" Bella whispers, struggling to come to grips with everything. How can they be vampires? How can she be one? This was the stuff of legends and badly acted out dramas on TV, not her own life. "I know you said that you are all vegetarians, but how does one just not crave blood anymore? Wouldn't being in such close proximity to it make things a little more difficult?"

"Actually, no one in the family finds Tiny tempting in the least. She is rather adorable with her chestnut brown hair, deep brown eyes and rosy cheeks though," Jasper adds. He can sense that Bella is beginning to grow more anxious, so he uses his powers to try and calm her, but he finds that it's not working. Her body is beginning to shake in frustration and her hands come from her sides as she leaps up.

"I don't appreciate that you call my daughter Tiny; that's not her name. I don't appreciate that Edward here was epically selfish when he decided to change me to be like you. I never asked for this and I certainly don't want it or any of you. This is such a fucking burden that you have placed on me. Oh joy, I get to live forever, but I am forced to be… this monster. You should have just let me die, instead of changing me so that you can continue to exist with a clear conscience," Bella pauses for a brief moment before she makes her way towards the door. All three sets of eyes following her every move. "Did you for one moment think I didn't want this?"

"No," Edward admits easily. "I thought you would want to be there for your daughter, regardless of how long it took until you were able to be near her scent."

"I didn't want her to begin with and neither did her father," Bella shouts loudly, her voice causing photos on the wall the shake. "Fuck all of you." Bella darts from the room and Edward gives chase as Carlisle and Jasper look at each other in surprise.

"Fucking newborns," Jasper mutters as he heads back to the main house, leaving Bella to Edward.


	9. Chapter 9

**You guys have been far too sweet in your reviews and I am so glad you are enjoying my little story. I wish I could update and review reply more, but life sucks. Let's just leave it at that. LOL. Beachcomberlc makes this shit looks pretty and keeps me canon. Thanks babycakes!_  
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**I don't own Twilight. I am reading Just One Day by Gayle Forman and I love it. What are you reading these days?  
**

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_Chapter 9_

Her body runs, almost effortlessly, through the forest leaving behind the small stone cottage that she woke up in. Bella can unmistakably make out the footfalls behind her, which are approaching quickly, even though her speed is off the charts. _'This guy runs like a madman,'_ Bella thinks to herself as a pair of stone-like arms wrap around her and lift her up, causing her to stop running.

Bella flails her arms and legs, desperate to be released, but she is unable to get a good enough grip on Edward to get away from him. "Stop fighting," Edward insists. "Jasper has trained me on fighting newborns. You really have no chance against me right now."

Bella stills in his arms, effectively giving up. It's not that she doesn't want to run from him again, but she realizes that he will catch her regardless of her efforts. He's shockingly fast, given her own unnatural speed. When Edward puts her down on a nearby fallen log, he sits beside her, not wanting to give her the chance to get away again.

"How am I supposed to live like this?" Bella asks quietly as Edward feels his stomach drop. Though he assumed she wouldn't approve of her new self, he was hoping for the best. Then again, it's not like he thought she would ever jump around excitedly, pleased at her new vampire self. "How do you do it?" she asks again, breaking him from his reverie.

"Every day is a challenge, believe me," Edward answers honestly. As each second passes, he's growing more nervous about Bella's reaction to her transformation. Will she accept her fate or will she curse the day Edward Cullen ever set eyes on and decided to save her? "I can read minds, but I can't read yours."

"Um… what?" Bella asks, taken aback by his very random comment.

"All day long my mind is jumbled up with the thoughts of every person within a mile of me. I don't even have to see them, but I can hear them. You… are the exception and I can't figure it out." Though this wasn't really what Edward wanted to discuss, he felt the need to be open with her.

"So is that why you changed me? You want to find out why you can't hear my thoughts? I can tell you right now, my only thought is that you are a selfish asshole," Bella retorts angrily as she moved to stand up, but Edward grasps her wrist tightly. Her immediate instinct is to turn towards him, baring her teeth, but she gives pause.

"You are unlike any newborn I have ever seen, Bella."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Most newborns don't think twice about violence and can easily give themselves over to the blood lust that courses through them, but you didn't attempt to harm me a moment ago. Why not?" Though Edward has only seen a few newborns in his hundred years, he knows they all reacted very similarly in their early days. They were obviously beautiful, like all vampires are, but they all harbored a deep desire for blood. Bella doesn't even seem particularly hungry and she's been awake for almost an hour. "Aren't you hungry?" he asks, deciding to go for the obvious question.

"Nothing seems appetizing. If I was human, I would usually jump at the chance for a burger or pizza, but they both sound horrid right now. Can we go back to the thing about you reading minds?" Bella questions, frustrated.

"I think that if I could have been able to read your mind, I would have known what you wanted me to choose for you – to live or to die – but without my ability to rely upon, I made a quick judgement. Sadly, I don't think you approve of it," Edward admits remorsefully. "You said back at my cottage that neither you nor her father wanted her. I had no way of knowing that."

"You should have stayed out of it."

"I couldn't let Marcus abuse you and then kill you. You have no idea the things that man did."

"And you do?"

"Yes, I do. Remember," Edward states with a smirk as he taps his temple, "I can read minds. Well, most of them."

Bella sits back down beside him, unnaturally fast in her movements as Edward grins, and she looks at the ground. If Edward could see into Bella's mind, he would surely get a headache from all the jumbled thoughts swirling around.

"I got pregnant by a man who was engaged to be married. Of course, I didn't know he was engaged at the time; I thought we were happy in our relationship." Bella stands again and she paces in front of Edward, kicking rocks and sticks from the ground and watching them fly several feet into the air. "I don't think I will ever get used to this strength."

"It fades a bit as you get older."

"Define 'older'?"

"In a few hundred years," Edward answers bluntly before he motions with his hands for her to continue.

"Wonderful," Bella replies sarcastically. "Anyway, after my father died, things began to fall apart. He was in financial ruin because he refused to let me take out any loans for college, and the money I had left from my mother's estate didn't last as long as we'd hoped." Edward can see Bella's hands begin to shake and she's obviously anxious. He can read her emotions like an open book, but her mind remains shut like a vault. "The bank foreclosed on his house when I couldn't make the payments, and even though I found a job after college, I got fired because I wasn't focusing on my position. Every day was a struggle to survive and then I met Jared, who promised me the world."

Jared. Edward doesn't know the man, but already he hates him for ruining this girl. For a moment, he imagines Bella attacking Jared the way that Rose decimated the men who left her for dead back in Rochester after raping her. "Don't smile, this isn't a funny situation," Bella scolds.

"I agree, it's not. My mind just wandered away to something else," Edward replies, his voice stoic. "So, without a solid job, you struggled to make ends meet and Jared made it seem like everything would work out, correct?"

"You're good," Bella counters as Edward shrugs his shoulders. "I know, it's a story often told. Sadly, I believed him. Unfortunately, when I went to Forks one weekend to visit my father's grave, I found out at the local diner that our relationship was merely an affair. Kim, his fiancée, was gushing about him and showing off her ring to her friends."

"What did you do?"

"I confronted him the next time we were together and threatened to go to Kim. Of course he didn't want his fiancée to know about the baby. We got into a huge fight just days ago because he saw me in Port Angeles and was under the assumption I had gotten an abortion."

"So, if you didn't want the baby and neither did Jared, then why were you still pregnant?" Edward asks, curiously, as Bella hangs her head and stares at the moss on the forest floor.

"I was going to give her up for adoption and then leave."

"You were going to leave town?"

"No, I was going to kill myself."


	10. Chapter 10

**I know you are all out there watching the Grammys, Downton Abbey or The Walking Dead (I'm flipping between 1 & 3), but I figured you would appreciate an update. It's been a while. Blame my life, and FFN for screwing up lately. Thanks, as always, to the lovely and stupendous beachcomberlc for beta'ing this mess.**

**I don't own Twilight. You are all awesome.**

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_Chapter 10_

"I really messed up your plans, huh?" Edward answers with a hint of a smile, unsure of how to react to Bella's confession. He truly wasn't expecting to hear that she was planning to kill herself.

"You can say that again," Bella replies as she leans against a rather thin tree and it falls easily under the pressure from her body, surprising her yet again.

"You have to realize that killing yourself is not an option now. Carlisle tried for years after his change to no avail. It's just not possible," Edward explains as Bella attempts to pick up the tree and right it, only to have it fall to the ground once again.

"So I can't kill myself, I'm destined to stay this way for eternity, and I don't particularly want to be a mother, especially to a … human child who I can't even care for in my current state." Bella leaves the tree alone and sits back down beside Edward with a very loud sigh. "What in the fuck do I do now?"

"Well, first of all, you can stop worrying about caring for your daughter. She's in good hands."

"She's with vampires," Bella counters; her tone ripe with sarcasm.

"Yes, she is, but they have hundreds of years of experience avoiding human blood and nothing has happened in the past few days, so I'm not expecting anything to threaten her. Anyway," Edward begins to add as Bella turns to look at him, curious. "No one in the family finds her scent… appealing."

"So, they won't eat her because she smells bad? Sort of like how people don't eat spoiled food?" Bella questions as Edward nods in agreement. "How is even that possible?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that," Edward replies, as Bella freezes suddenly. She stands, her body stiff, as Edward sees her eyes flutter and her nose jut out slightly. She's hungry and she's caught the scent of something. Before he has a chance to explain this to Bella, she's gone running off after whatever it is that she smells.

Edward immediately follows, quickly passing through the trees and bushes, until he finds Bella clutching a tree for dear life as a pair of hikers dressed for the frigid temperatures makes their way along a nearby path. Edward grasps Bella's arm tightly, but she easily shakes him off, as she glares at the pair as they move out of sight. When Bella turns around and comes face to face with Edward, she is surprised by the look on his face.

"What you did…that's almost impossible for a newborn," Edward explains as Bella looks at him with confusion clear on her face. "You came within 200 feet of two human and didn't immediately lunge for his throat to drain them of every ounce of their blood. I still have difficulty being around some people."

"Isn't this a good sign?" Bella laments with a roll of her eyes. "I mean, you guys don't want me to eat humans, right? If I choose to stay with you, I have to become a… whatever you called it."

"A vegetarian, and yes… you do."

"So, what's the problem?"

"How can you resist the smell of their blood, Bella? It clearly called to you since you raced over two miles to find them, but you didn't eat them. Perhaps you are the only living vampire with no blood lust?" Edward wonders aloud. "We need to take you back to see Carlisle."

"I need to eat something, Edward. I feel horrible and I have no energy." Edward motions for Bella to follow him and he quickly dashes away, with her right on his heels.

Even with her lack of energy, Bella is doing a good job of keeping up with him as they make their way into denser woods and she watches with rapt attention as Edward lunges and takes down a deer right before her eyes.

As she approaches anxiously, she can see the bite marks in the animal's neck, and Edward looks spotless. "Did you see how I did that?" Bella nods her head softly. "There's another deer just down the ridge a little bit. Go give it a try."

Bella is hesitant at first and with good reason. She's about to slaughter a defenseless animal to extinguish her own need for blood. As she moves a few feet forward, she can see the deer in the distance. He's standing there, looking around the forest with purpose, as though he senses a predator in the area. Bella can't stop herself this time as she bounds down the ridge and immediately sinks her teeth into the thick hide of the deer, draining him dry before she can even come to terms with what she has done.

As she wipes her hand across her mouth, she looks up to see Edward standing there, watching her intently. "You're a natural."

"Is there such thing?" Bella questions, as she stands up and wipes her bloody hands against her pants. She's certain she looks a mess, with twigs and pine needles in her hair, and blood all over her face and clothes. However, she also feels infinitely better.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. I've never encountered someone who has adjusted to this lifestyle as quickly as you have," Edward admits easily. "I think there are another one or two deer around here, if you are interested." Bella doesn't have to be told twice, and before she knows it, she has drained another deer and actually feels full.

After racing around the forest for so long, Bella and Edward finally sit down on the edge of a small lake and he can't help but look over at her. Bella is bent over the cold water and is washing off her face, trying to remove the bloody remnants of her lunch, so to speak.

"Do you know where we are?" Bella asks, as she settles back against a felled tree.

"I think we are about an hour and a half northwest of Forks. In fact, if my assumptions are right, I think we are at Swan Bay, on the edge of Ozette Lake."

"Did we go through the reserve?" Bella asks, as she grabs a rock and attempts to skip it across the lake, but it goes much further than she expected. A downfall of her superior strength, she supposes.

"Did you mean the Quileute Reservation? No… we went further north." Edward focuses on Bella, as she turns rocks over in her hands, and he knows there is more she wants to say. Though he hasn't really missed the ability to read her mind, for a brief moment, he wishes he knew what she was thinking. Instead, he tries a different tactic.

"We can't go there."

"Oh?"

"It's just…back in the 1930's we signed a treaty with some members from the Quileute Reservation that said we couldn't step foot on their land, nor could we create anymore vampires or kill any humans," Edward explains. "Needless to say, we're not going to tell them about you."

"Yeah, but… Jared…" Bella pauses and Edward stares at her attentively. She throws another rock as Edward begins to put two and two together.

"Shit," he curses. "Jared is Quileute, isn't he?"

"Yeah."

"Which means Tiny is…" Edward drifts off, not wanting to startle Bella any further by telling her that people on the Quileute reservation shape shift into wolves in the presence of too many vampires. However, he realizes that the reason his family doesn't find the baby appealing is because she's half human and half wolf. "We need to get back to the house. Now."


	11. Chapter 11

**I know it's been forever since I updated, and you don't need my long story about real life sucking. I was also away in Rochester this past weekend, soaking up the snow and cold. LOL. Much thanks to beachcomberlc who keeps me canon and discusses the plural of Quileute with me at length. **

**I don't own Twilight. I also don't have an e-reader anymore since my husband washed it in our laundry yesterday.**

* * *

Chapter 11

In a moment of panic, Edward grabs Bella's hand and they rush through the woods at breakneck speed as they hurry home. When they reach the cottage, Carlisle is waiting for them along with Alice and Jasper, who is assuming he will need to use his powers to calm down a frantic Bella. Little does he know, she's doing a lot better at reining in her temper.

"What's going on? Alice said we all needed to be here," Carlisle explains as Edward closes the door behind him. Alice lets out a little tsk of disappointment when she sees the blood splattered on Bella's clothes.

"We'll have to do something about that."

"About what?" Bella retorts, as she takes in her profile in a nearby mirror. She thinks she looks pretty good for a girl who killed two deer in the span of minutes. "I think I did alright."

"We can work on her technique in the coming weeks, alright? Alice, Bella will surely need some clothes seeing as we have nothing suitable for her, but that's not why I wanted to see you guys here," Edward states as he approaches Carlisle and then pauses as Alice grins at him.

"I can see Bella's future now," Alice claps happily, no doubt catching Bella off-guard with her overwhelming exuberance. "When she was pregnant I saw nothing, but now that Tiny is out, I've been getting flashes of Bella's future. Isn't that exciting?"

"Wait a minute… she can see the future?" Bella asks incredulously as Jasper lets out a laugh and Alice nods her head furiously.

"Well, I can usually see everyone's future, but when you came to join us, I couldn't see yours. Now, it's only Tiny's future I can't see though -"

"I think I know why," Edward interrupts as Carlisle suddenly perks up, the conversation about fashion and the future having held no interest for him. "The father of Tiny… I mean, Bella's daughter, is named Jared and he's Quileute."

"No shit. At least now we know why none of us want to eat Tiny" Jasper states as Carlisle stands up and begins pacing.

"And why is that?" Bella asks, confused.

"She's part wolf, who by the way are the stinkiest of creatures. I have no idea how you created a baby with one," Alice adds as Bella's mouth falls open. "You haven't told her about the Quileute, Edward?"

"I've been working up to it, Alice, but we discussed the treaty briefly," Edward retorts angrily. "I think Bella has had enough to deal with today, don't you?"

"Okay, let me get this straight. Jared is a wolf? Is this like some Teen Wolf shit?" Bella laughs, no doubt assuming they are all kidding, but everyone is quiet. "No, really. What's going on?"

"The Quileute have the ability to shape-shift. It's not something they do every day, and only when there are vampires in the near vicinity. We made a treaty with them years ago not to turn anyone or go on their land. It's all kind of shot to hell right now, though," Carlisle explains. It's clear from the thoughts running through his mind, that this news distresses Carlisle greatly, but it's Jasper who voices his concerns.

"So I guess we are moving again? After all, if she has any other friends on the reservation, they will know we broke the treaty the moment they see her. It's kind of hard to hide the fact that she's a newborn."

"Do you have any friends there or just the babies father?" Carlisle asks, his mind wondering the same thing as Jasper. If he has to move his family again to keep them safe, he'll gladly do it without a second thought. The treaty will be considered null and void if the Quileute discover that Edward changed Bella, even if he did it to save the daughter of one of their own. Carlisle also fears a possible custody issue if Jared's pack gets wind of everything. Edward knows their situation is precarious, but he has faith that things will turn out. Alice grumbles, no doubt her foresight isn't so sure about how things will go because she cannot see what the Quileute will do.

"I wouldn't exactly call Jared a friend. He didn't want the baby," Bella admits reluctantly. "My dad was friends with Billy Black and his son Jacob, and he knew a few others there, but I wasn't close with them, if that's what you are asking."

"It's not like Bella can venture into town or anything yet, so let's just lay low for now, alright?" Carlisle suggests as everyone nods their heads. "I'll keep Esme, Emmett and Rosalie apprised of the situation. Now, is there anything else we need to know?"

"Bella was near some hikers and hesitated. She caught their scent and dashed towards them, but didn't actually attack." Edward feels proud as Carlisle looks at Bella in shock. Even Jasper and Alice mirror the surprise at his news, but Bella just looks confused. "I think she's a natural at being a vampire and I want to try one more thing to test her abilities."

Carlisle looks at Edward and immediately shakes his head no. "If you mean to bring Bella near the baby, I don't think that is the best idea right now, Edward. You've seen her avoid attacking one set of hikers, but it doesn't mean she has no blood lust for humans."

"What if there is a barrier between them? A wall of vampires perhaps?" Jasper suggests, as the idea holds some merit to him. He's very interested to see how Bella will react in the presence of her daughter.

"I don't think we should take the chance," Carlisle counters. "Alice, can you see anything to back up my thoughts?"

"No, Carlisle, I can't. Tiny will be protected by everyone. I think we should see if Bella can handle seeing her daughter through the glass in the living room. I don't see anything major occurring." Bella's spirits lift slightly as she watches Carlisle's shoulders slump in defeat. She has a sudden urge to see her baby, but she also doesn't want Edward to tell his family that she didn't want her. After all she has been through, she can't help but feel like it will be worth it if she has her daughter with her, even if she can't be with her immediately.

*~HOS~*

Half an hour later, Edward and Bella approach the main house and she stops dead in her tracks. "Can you do me a favor?" she asks, her voice small and anxious.

"I figure it's the least I can do considering what I've forced you to endure lately," Edward replies with a small smile.

"Don't tell your family about… you know… me planning to give her away," Bella explains softly. "I don't want them to think any less of me."

"I think they would all understand, Bella, but if you don't want me to mention it, I won't. Now, let's go see your daughter, alright?" Bella nods her head and follows close behind Edward as they climb the steps up to the Cullen's back porch. Bella can see the entire family gathered inside; including a few others she has yet to meet.

"That's Esme holding the baby. She's kind of like our mom," Edward states as he motions for Esme to come closer to the window so that they can see Tiny a little bit better. "The baby was a bit small when she was born, after all she was a little early, but according to Carlisle, she's thriving."

"That's a relief," Bella states as she moves a few steps closer to the window and sees a tiny bundle wrapped in a pink blanket. Esme is holding her close to her chest, but she turns Tiny so that Bella can get a better look at her face. Edward is surprised to see that Bella looks on the verge of tears, and vampires can't cry.

"Are you alright? Do you feel hungry again?" Edward questions, worried.

"I'm fine. It's just… she looks a lot like I did as a baby," Bella admits. "I'm ashamed that I ever thought of not having her, of giving her away to perfect strangers, and of killing myself. She's beautiful… absolutely beautiful."

Edward nods his head in agreement as they watch the baby stretch her arms from the blanket and begin licking her lips. "She's hungry, so Esme and Rosalie will make sure she gets a bottle. However, I'm thinking it's about time you come up with a name for her before Tiny begins to stick."

"Elizabeth," Bella says easily. "I think she looks like an Elizabeth."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi Again! I had promised the lovely Cared, who reviewed this little story over on Rob Attack, that I would post last Friday in honor of the great review. Then real-life happened and this was the soonest I could update. I still adore her for the great review! I also adore beachcomberlc for betaing this madness and not complaining, at least not to me, when I rewrote this chapter.**

**I don't own Twilight. I do have my e-reader back after the good folks at Sony fixed it. I'm off to upload some books to it.**

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_Chapter 12_

Bella and Edward stand outside the window for what feels like merely minutes to Bella, but when Edward informs her it's been almost two hours, they decide to make their way back down to the cottage. Edward laughs as he watches Bella adjust to her newfound abilities, jumping lightly over rocks and climbing trees with the greatest of ease. He's actually surprised at how well she is acclimating to everything considering the circumstances.

As they approach the small stone house, Edward falls into step behind Bella and decides to share a bit of information with her. "My mother…her name was Elizabeth," Edward utters as Bella turns, just before she opens the door. "Even though I have no claim on your daughter, I think it's a lovely name for her."

"Well, let's face it, she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." Bella pushes open the door and steps inside as though she lives there too.

Though they haven't discussed where she would be living, it is just a given that she couldn't stay at the main house as long as Elizabeth is there and Bella's control of her bloodlust is still uncertain. "She would probably be with Child Protective Services, in foster care with hopefully a good family, but you never know. Don't get me wrong, I'm still pissed the choice was taken away from me, but I think once I can actually be her mom, things may get better."

"Is that something you think you want now? To be her mom?" Edward questions as his eyes turn towards his bedroom, where he can see that everything has been put back into order. There is no bloody mess on the bed, no surgical tools and everything looks just as it did before he brought Bella home with him.

"I think so. I mean, it's not like I have much choice, right?"

"Oh, don't you think for one second that Rosalie wouldn't adopt that baby from you in a heartbeat," Edward grins as Bella rolls her eyes before looking at the collection of music Edward has organized on a bookshelf in the living room. Her eyes drift over the dizzying array of CDs from all eras, as Edward sits down on the couch as a sudden feeling of anxiety overcomes him. He's still a bit nervous about Bella's reaction to everything, especially considering how well she seems to be adjusting suddenly.

"I'm sure she loves my little girl, but I think once I can be trusted with her, I will have adjusted to the idea motherhood a little bit more, you know?"

"If you aren't certain, there's still time to-" Bella cuts Edward off from his train of thought by putting on a Debussy CD.

"I'm certain, alright? Stop pestering me about it," Bella snaps, before she lightens her mood considerably, realizing she is being a bit of a bitch. "I know a few days ago I didn't particularly want this, but seeing her and how perfect she is, has made me have a change of heart. I'm going to try and do this… parenting thing. I mean… I'm going to do it. No '_try'_ about it."

"Good, that's great," Edward responds, as they stare at each other silently, while Claire de Lune plays around them. As the song nears its end, Edward can see that Bella's expression has changed to sadness, and if she was able to, he knows she would be crying. "What's wrong?"

Bella collapses onto the couch beside him and lets out a huge sigh. "My mother used to love this song, and listening to it reminds me of her, and how much I miss her. She would have loved being a grandmother," Bella admits sadly, as Edward wraps his arm around her shoulder and offers her a gentle and supportive squeeze. "I'm not going to remember her forever, am I?"

"Unfortunately, no," Edward responds as Bella tenses at his side.

He stands up and begins searching through a drawer in his desk near the back wall, and when he comes back, he's clutching an old leather bound notebook. "My suggestion is to record all your memories while you still have them because they fade pretty quickly, sadly. One hundred years from now, you will remember flickers and thoughts, but not full memories like you do now. At least if you write them down, you'll have something and maybe you can share it with Elizabeth when she's old enough to understand."

Bella takes the proffered book and holds it tightly in her hands, before running her fingers over it reverently. "Do you remember your family?"

"I'm at that bits and pieces stage. I remember the basics like their names, where we lived and what I loved about them most, but I can't recall specific events anymore. I wish I'd had the foresight to write things down, believe me." Edward takes his place beside Bella again and watches as she flips the book open and stares at the blank pages. "There's a couple of pens in the cup on the desk if you want to write. It's not like you can sleep, after all."

"Wait? I can't sleep?"

"Not in the traditional sense, no," Edward replies as Bella quirks her eyebrows at him in question. "I'm sure you could lie down and close your eyes, and simulate the act of sleeping but you won't actually fall asleep."

"Then why do you have a bed?"

"Comfort mainly. It's nice to just lie there sometimes and listen to the rain fall against the roof or read a book. Anyways, go write. I'll be back in a bit."

"Thanks," Bella says softly, as Edward tells her he's going to head out for a run and give her some privacy.

*~HOS~*

Once his run is over, Edward decides to give Bella more space and he heads to the main house. As he walks in the back door, Carlisle and Esme are playing chess in the living room, while Alice is shopping online and Jasper is reading a book. Emmett and Rosalie are nowhere to be found, Edward figures they are probably fornicating, like usual.

"Their romantic life has taken a hit since Tiny came into the house," Jasper drawls as he looks up from his book to his brother. "Rose spends all her time with the baby, who is sound asleep by the way."

"I figured as much," Edward states as Carlisle and Esme pause their game, more interested in Edward's arrival. "Bella has named her Elizabeth, so we can stop calling her Tiny." From the corner of his eye, Edward can see Esme smile at the mention of his mother's name. "And no, I had nothing to do with the name."

"It's a very beautiful name, for a very lovely girl," Esme states. "Did you come up here to see her?" Edward's instinct is to shake his head, but instead he nods in agreement. After all, Edward hasn't seen the baby much since she was born, unless it was behind cover of glass like Bella, or while she was being held by Rose down in the cottage.

Esme leads Edward down the hallway towards a spare room that wasn't really used for much of anything. The house had far too many rooms as it was, and though this room was Edward's for a little while, it has long since been abandoned, until now.

As Esme pushes the door open, Edward can see a small bassinet set up with a light projecting swimming fish onto the ceiling. "She doesn't need the light, but Alice thinks it's cute." Esme smiles as she pats Edward on the shoulder and he tentatively steps in. "I'll give you some privacy. She should wake up soon for a bottle, so if you want to stay and feed her, let me know."

When Esme leaves, Edward sits silently in the rocking chair in the corner and simply watches as Elizabeth sleeps. She doesn't move much, but to Edward, she is the most adorable baby ever. He can't even fathom the fact that Bella intended to give her away, because after just watching her for less than ten minutes, he can't take his eyes off of her.

Almost twenty minutes later, the baby begins to fuss and fidget, and Esme comes in without hesitation holding her bottle. She quietly picks up Elizabeth and hands her over to Edward, showing him how to hold her properly, before handing him the bottle. "Just place it against her bottom lip, and rub it a little bit, and she will latch on easily."

Sure enough, just like Esme told him, Elizabeth begins sucking at the bottle almost immediately after Edward offers it to her. She makes herself scarce and while Edward cuddles the tiny baby, he can't help but kiss her softly on the forehead. "I promise no one, and I mean no one, will ever hurt you. I will keep you safe, forever."


	13. Chapter 13

**Apparently I should have put a disclaimer on the last chapter saying I'm not responsible for exploding ovaries, which was a comment a lot of you left for me.** **I**** hope they weren't a mess to clean up. I'm not responsible for that either. LOL Beachcomberlc keeps me sane and fixes my messes. She's awesomesauce. **

**I don't own Twilight. I do need a nap. What about you?**

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_Chapter 13_

As he walks into his small cottage a little after four in the morning, Edward isn't overly surprised to see Bella sitting at his desk, in almost darkness, writing in the notebook he gave her. "I know your vision is brilliant these days, but even vampires can use a little light," he jokes.

"I got into a groove and just couldn't stop writing. Plus, it helps that I write much faster and neater than before," Bella smiles as Edward flicks on two lights in the living room and he notices the light in the spare bedroom is on. He's about to ask about it when Bella sees what he's looking at. "Alice was down here while you were gone."

"Oh, really?" Edward is somewhat surprised by this, but he can sense Bella is apprehensive about his sister's visit.

"She wanted to make sure I had some clothes, basic necessities and all that, until she can go shopping for me. Apparently, she and Jasper are going to head into Seattle tomorrow and pick up some things for Elizabeth and I. She won't go overboard will she?"

"Probably, but that's just Alice's way. She means well, really, but she can be a bit much sometimes."

"She kept listing off things she wanted to buy the baby, including a swing set which I think I talked her out of, and she just… it's too much," Bella answers nervously. "I can't afford to pay her back."

"Bella, let me ask you something…what good is it to have someone who can see the future, if you don't use it to your benefit?" Bella shrugs her shoulders as Edward smiles happily at her in return, easing her anxiety a little bit. "Alice does all our investing. She knows when to buy and when to sell. Let's just say, money won't be an issue for any member of the Cullens for hundreds of years to come. Hell, not even then."

"Seriously?" Bella asks incredulously as Edward nods his head. "Wow, that must be nice… to have money, that is."

"Yeah well, it's just money. So, if Alice goes a bit crazy with dresses or shoes for you or Elizabeth, don't worry about it, alright? She really just wants to be your friend."

"I'm already worried she will come back with a prom dress for Beth, and we have a few years to go until we need that."

"That sounds like my sister," Edward answers with a loud laugh as he sits on the couch and watches Bella intently. Her expression has changed from one of concern, over money, to one of curiosity.

"Is that how you see Alice and the rest of them? As your brothers and sisters?"

"Well, Carlisle is more like a dad to me, if I am being honest," Edward answers easily. "And Esme is like my mom, which I think I told you already. As for the rest of them, yeah… I suppose they are my brothers and sisters."

"Brothers from a different mother, huh?" Bella asks with a grin as Edward smiles right back at her.

"And sisters from another mister," Edward adds with a laugh.

"Do you think I will see them that way, eventually?"

"If you choose to stay, yeah, I do." Bella tenses as she drops the pen and approaches Edward quickly, still not used to her newfound speed. "Have you thought about what you want to do with the rest of your life? I mean…you are more than welcome to stay here, but I know you aren't happy with me and what I felt I had to do."

"I will admit that in the when I woke up this morning, I really harboured resentment towards you, and it will probably take me a while to get over everything, but your whole family has been great to Elizabeth and me. For the time being, we're not going anywhere." Edward can't help but breathe a sigh of relief as Bella nudges his shoulder a little harder than she expected. "You don't want me to leave, do you?"

"Nah, I think we're good for now," Edward laughs easily.

*~HOS~*

For the rest of the night, Edward and Bella spend their time listening to music and discussing his life growing up as a vampire. Not that he has ever really grown up, he explains to Bella. Edward happily tells her the whole story of how Alice and Jasper came to join their family, even though Jasper had told her briefly when she first woke up. He also tells her fun stories about camping in the wilderness with his brothers, or helping Esme renovate the house by simply knocking down walls. Edward even suggests that if she ever wants to humble Emmett, who assumes he is the strongest in the Cullen family, that she challenge him to arm wrestle since she is much stronger as a newborn than he is.

"So what's your story?" Bella questions as Edward turns on the couch to face her. "I mean, I know how you came to be a vampire, but what else is there to know?"

"What is this twenty questions?"

"No, just one," Bella answers with a smirk as Edward rolls his eyes.

"There's not much to tell. I like to read and listen to classical music. I can play piano and I even dabble in composing music a bit." Edward doesn't want to boast about his accomplishments, but Bella doesn't seem placated by his response.

"What were you doing over at the bar the night you found me? Obviously, you weren't there for a drink, right?"

"No… no, I wasn't."

"Unless it was a drink of a different kind?" Bella is clearly implying that Edward was there to drink human blood, and he scoffs at the notion. "What? It could happen, right?"

"I don't drink from humans that I kill," Edward responds, as Bella's eyes grow wide. Shit, he hadn't meant to mention that last part, but now that the words have fallen from his lips, he can't exactly take them back. "It's not like it sounds."

"Well, you have certainly piqued my interest. So come on… out with it."

"I hunt down criminals and bring them to justice." Bella looks at him incredulously and almost can't believe what she is hearing. In fact, had she not been saved by Edward killing the man who planned to harm her, she probably wouldn't believe him. "These men that I kill… they're not good men."

"I wouldn't imagine that they are," Bella counters. "However, from what little you've told me, isn't it against the treaty to kill anyone regardless of who they are or what they have done?"

Edward has no response for her, because Bella is right. The treaty that is in place with the Quileute strictly forbids him, or anyone in the family, from killing anyone. However, Edward considers his efforts to be for the good of the people. By removing the threat of these men, he is protecting the citizens of the Pacific Northwest, and their families. This includes the Quileute people and he feels no remorse for his actions.

"In theory, yes, but I'm not out there killing needlessly. These men need to be removed from society. Remember, I can read their minds, Bella. I know what horrors they have committed and what further atrocities they plan to commit. If one of my targets shows remorse, I have no hesitation in keeping him alive and dropping him off at the nearest police station, but those men are few and far between."

"And you haven't feared any backlash in relation to the treaty?" Bella wonders as she leans back against the couch and slowly closes her eyes. "I mean, if I were in their shoes and I knew someone was breaking the rules, I'd be pissed."

"Honestly, I have been flying under the radar and I have never felt that I had anything to fear. In news reports, most of the deaths I've been responsible for have come across as accidents or suicides. However, since you've come along…" Edward hesitates because though he never feared the repercussions before, he's not so confident now. "We need to keep you and Elizabeth hidden for the time being."

"So, if the Quileute find out that you've turned me into a vampire… they will be pretty angry huh?"

"That's probably an understatement, especially since one of their own is living with vampires, but let's hope they never find out, alright?"

"Who am I going to tell? The only Quileute I've talked to in the last six months probably wishes I were dead since I messed up his plans of a wonderful little life with his fiancée. I'm sure he looks over his shoulder all the time, wondering when I will show up and ruin his life," Bella mutters angrily as Edward squeezes her thigh gently, offering her support.

"Well, clearly, he's missing out on a wonderful woman and I am glad at how things have turned out," Edward replies as Bella offers him a small smile. She's never been one to handle compliments well, but Edward seems to have an innate ability to make Bella smile. Thankfully for Bella, Edward plans to make her smile as much as possible over the next few hundred years.


	14. Chapter 14

**I was so happy with myself earlier today for finally editing a chapter, and then I realized I did Chapter 15 instead of 14. I don't even know how I managed to get 14 done too considering how busy things are lately. As usual, a huge thanks to beachcomberlc for her top-notch beta-work. She's a sweetheart. I'd like to say I can get these chapters done quicker, but March is a brutal month for me thanks to all my family birthdays and no free time. I'm working on it though.**

**I don't own Twilight. I do own Breaking Dawn Part 2 on Blu-Ray though. I haven't watched it yet. I'm lazy like that.**

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_Chapter 14_

"What are you doing here?" Edward asks as he approaches Bella, who is sitting patiently on a chair on the deck of the main house.

"Just watching," Bella replies simply as her eyes dart back to the scene in the house. Rosalie and Esme are feeding Elizabeth her bottle as Jasper and Emmett make plans to go hunting. Carlisle is at the hospital and Alice is nowhere to be found, which usually means she's out shopping. "I'm grateful that they are being so wonderful to my daughter, but on the other hand, I'm hurt because it should be me in there. Does that make any sense?"

"It's natural to want to bond with your daughter, Bella," Edward explains as Bella turns her attention back to her sire. "You've improved by leaps and bounds over the past few weeks, and when I can get Carlisle to see how immune you appear to be to the scent of human blood, then we can see about increasing your visitation."

"This sounds like some sort of shitty custody agreement and I'm clearly getting the shaft."

"Well, it is sort of like that," Edward smiles. "It's not the most ideal situation, but we can't be lax with Elizabeth's safety, don't you agree?" Snow begins to fall softly around them as Edward watches Bella nod her head softly. He knows she dislikes the situation they are currently in, and wishes she could be with Beth all of the time, but Edward can't take any chances until his beliefs regarding Bella's immunity are proven correct.

Over the past few weeks, Bella has begun to come to terms with her new 'life'. All of the Cullens have been surprised by her progress since she first woke up, especially Carlisle. He's done some testing on Bella and there have been no anomalies in her system, but he's still extra cautious in regards to her quick adaption. However, no one is as cautious as Rosalie is.

Edward has tried to convince Rosalie to let Bella spend some time with her daughter, but Rosalie doesn't believe that Bella's immunity to blood has occurred so quickly. She refuses to even consider the possibility that even though Bella's change took longer than usual, her adjustment to vampire life has been short and sweet. Edward has given up arguing with Rosalie on Bella's behalf and he plans to show Carlisle just how well Bella is doing as soon as he can, hoping that Carlisle can sway Rosalie.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Bella asks, pulling Edward from his thoughts.

"There's no plan, actually." Bella looks surprised at Edward's comment, because he has been very busy teaching her all about vampire history, discussing all of their abilities and hunting. To Bella it seems like they have been busy constantly since she changed, but she knows that's not right. They have had some downtime to discuss personal things between them, and Bella has shared some memories from her past, but she knows they are disappearing rapidly, so she has recorded as many as she can in the book that Edward gave her.

"No plan? Where's my Edward and what have you done with him?" Bella replies with a laugh as Edward pauses at the mention of 'my Edward'. Bella seems unaware of the slip, but Edward lets the words linger in his mind, wondering briefly if he and Bella could have something romantic in their future.

"You've done great, really. It's about time you relaxed a bit. We can go for a run if you want to," he suggests easily, trying to think of anything else other than his burgeoning feelings.

"Did you run out of things to cram into my brain?" Bella laughs as she stands from the chair and approaches Edward ever so slowly.

"Um… no. I just thought we could use a break, that's all." Edward swallows thickly as Bella runs her finger down his chest and then turns to his left, walking behind him, before effortlessly jumping off the deck and landing lithely on her feet.

"Alright, let's go for a run then." In the blink of an eye, Bella disappears into the forest, and Edward is fast on her heels.

**~*HOS*~**

Edward isn't surprised when they end up at Swan Bay, on the shore of Ozette Lake. It's been a favourite spot of theirs during their runs, and it keeps them safe by heading north of Quileute territory. Bella sits down on the log where they like to chat and pats the spot beside her, as though she thinks Edward won't sit with her. Truth be told, Edward has been trying to keep his distance now that he's begun to think of Bella in a romantic sense.

"I won't bite," she laughs as Edward grins back at her. He's glad that she can finally joke about being a vampire. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"I've solved the mystery – you're a girl – because only a girl would say 'nothing, I'm fine', which implies that you are not fine. So spill it," Bella states firmly as Edward rests beside her and rather than tell her the truth, that he is struggling with her newfound feelings for her, Edward decides to skirt the true issue.

"I'm frustrated with Rosalie. She knows how important it is for you to bond with Beth, but she's the biggest roadblock of them all. Carlisle knows that you are adjusting rapidly to your new life, but he has yet to see you first hand. I think if he saw your ability, he'd be able to convince Rosalie to give you actual hands-on time with Beth," Edward laments, disappointed in himself that he couldn't be honest with her.

"What do we need to do? Lead me into a mall in Seattle or take me to a crowded movie theatre or something, so he can see I'm not the least bit interested in snacking on the general public?" Bella suggests as Edward offers her a small smile in return. Though her suggestions are absurd, Edward wonders if he should take Bella to the Forks Hospital to see Carlisle. She'll be safe with him, but also around the public. They can easily prove to him that Bella isn't a threat to anyone, least of all Beth.

"I have an idea, but it might anger Carlisle."

"We can blame it all on me then. What's the idea?"

"How do you feel about hospitals?"

"Horrible. I used to visit one all the time when I was a child because I was so clumsy," Bella explains, before she pauses and realizes that though she knows this fact, she cannot give Edward an exact recount of a past hospital visit. "Anyways, I don't like them, but if it means I can be close to Beth, I'm willing to try anything."

Five minutes, and 28 miles, later Edward and Bella find themselves walking into the Emergency Ward of Forks General Hospital. They approach the front desk and Edward has Carlisle paged as Bella reaches out and grips his hand tightly.

She's anxious that she won't be able to prove Edward right, and keep herself in check. Her mouth fills with venom as the scent of blood surrounds her, but Bella swallows it down and stands a little straighter. She can do this. Edward entwines his fingers with hers and gives her a huge smile, in an attempt to be supportive.

When Carlisle walks into the waiting area a few minutes later, his eyes go wide as he sees Edward and Bella standing there. The waiting area is full, as it usually is when there is snow on the roads, but Carlisle offers Bella a small smile anyways. "Carlisle, you never told us your son had such a lovely girlfriend," Casey, one of the nurses says sweetly as she eyes Bella and Edward with a grin plastered on her face.

"Oh well… it's a new development," Carlisle replies coolly as his eyes drift down to Edward and Bella's joined hands. "Can you guys go to exam room 3, please? I'll be with you in a moment." To Edward, it's obvious that Carlisle is furious because of the thoughts currently in his mind, but to anyone else he appears normal. Edward listens as Carlisle discusses treatment instructions with one of the nurses, as they slip into the room Carlisle told them to go to.

"Do you think he's pissed?" Bella asks as she jumps up effortlessly onto the exam table. "You'd think he'd be happy that I'm behaving."

"I can read minds, remember," Edward replies as he taps his forehead and Bella goes to punch his shoulder, but she hits him much harder than she expected.

"I'm not forgetting everything, Edward," Bella answers with a roll of her eyes as Carlisle strolls into the room, his voice normal but he's clearly angry.

"So, what's going on here? I'd hope one of you is hurt so that you can explain your visit here today."

"Well, Bella did just punch me, so my ego is a little bruised," Edward answers playfully as Carlisle looks at his son in frustration. "Okay, fine, this was our attempt to show you that Bella could be trusted around Elizabeth. She's in public, there's dozens of people around and you know she hasn't harmed anyone."

"This was reckless Edward, and you know it," Carlisle chastises. "Not only because Bella could have harmed someone, but because she could have been recognized. You are lucky Casey is a fairly new nurse and she didn't know Chief Swan or Bella. This isn't something to be taken lightly, Edward."

"Fine, we screwed up," Edward begins as Carlisle scowls at his son. "But I firmly believe that Bella is not a threat to Elizabeth and we need you to see that. Once you are on our side, maybe Rosalie can relent a little bit and Bella can be in the same room with her daughter."

"This was not the best way to go about this. You could have hurt people."

"But I didn't," Bella chimes in defensively. "I had one moment of weakness and it passed. I'm fine."

"It was one moment though, Bella. What about the next time or the time after that? Are you ready to take that chance with Elizabeth?" Carlisle asks as Bella stands her ground. Though it has only been a few weeks, Bella knows she's not a typical vampire and she's confident in her ability to show restraint around her daughter.

"I won't hurt her, Carlisle. I am 100% certain of that." Carlisle nods softly and agrees to discuss everything with the family again when he gets home. "Thank you, Carlisle. You won't regret it."

"Let's hope not," he replies simply. "Now, I have actual patients to treat. Please go home, alright?" Edward and Bella agree and Carlisle leaves them in the exam room. Just as they are about to leave Edward hears the thoughts of a patient in another exam room.

_There was no way that was her. No way. She wasn't pregnant and she didn't have a kid with her, so she must have gotten rid of it, right? Shit…if Kim finds any of this shit out, I'm fucked. I need to find her and get this shit figured out. I need to know my ass is covered; otherwise…I don't want to even think about the shit that will hit the fan. _

"You okay?" Bella asks as she notices the look of concern on Edward's face.

"Yeah… I'm fine. Let's get out of here, alright?"

"Yes, please. I hate hospitals." Edward ushers Bella out a back door and into the now dark night. They race through the forest toward his cottage and all Edward can focus on is protecting Bella and keeping her away from Jared.


	15. Chapter 15

**I meant to get this posted sooner, but sometimes life just gets in the way. Sometimes I want to throat punch real life. **

**Anywhoo, beachcomberlc is a wonderful beta and cheerleader. She makes this shit pretty. **

**I don't own Twilight. In support of my bestie, Risbee, I have to say... Go Heels! (I'm Canadian. I couldn't give two shits about the NCAA tournament)**

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_Chapter 15_

By the next week, Edward has managed to get Carlisle to spend some time with Bella, and he too believes that she has some extraordinary ability to abstain from her desire for human blood. Together, they took Bella to Portland, Oregon and tested her ability to be around humans. They visited a shopping mall during the busy weekend hours and had no issues whatsoever. Bella and Edward were both proud of her achievement, but Carlisle was simply surprised. He had never encountered anyone who was like her.

Even now, as the family talks in the living room of the Cullen home, discussing Bella's ability to safely visit with her daughter, everyone is surprised by her skills and restraint.

"It's just so unusual," Jasper states, after listening to Carlisle describe her abilities in detail. "In all my years, I've never seen someone who has adjusted so easily to being a vampire. Has anyone here?" Everyone shakes their head, with the exception of Edward.

"This is exactly why I'm worried," Rosalie snaps loudly. Out of everyone, she has been the most vocal in her concern over Bella spending time with her daughter. It's not that Rosalie is against it per say, it's just that she refuses to be careless with Elizabeth's life.

"Well, maybe if you let her have some time with her daughter, you'd see it too," Edward chides her as Emmett rubs her shoulder sweetly in support. "We're not asking for Beth to move into the cottage with us. Hell, I don't even know where Bella wants to live with Beth, but she's her mother and I think you need to relax a bit, Rosalie."

The family has been arguing about this for the past half hour, while Beth sleeps soundly in her small room. Bella, on the other hand, is down at the cottage reading a book, as she is still not allowed in the main house if Elizabeth is there; Rosalie's rule, of course.

"I think we should give Bella the benefit of the doubt. After all, she's convinced Edward and Carlisle of her restraint," Esme explains softly. From the look on her face, Edward can tell that Esme wants to be supportive of him; however, she is also concerned about Beth's safety.

"If we were to agree to a trial perhaps, how do you suggest we go about it?" Emmett asks simply, buoying Edward's mood.

"The first step I think would be to let her hold her daughter, obviously." Edward knows that everyone is anxious about this, so he does his best to ease their concerns. "None of us are tempted by Beth, so why wouldn't it be the same for Bella? After all, if we hate the smell of the wolves, she will too. I think it's the best way to start and Bella would like to do it. I also think giving her the chance to feed her daughter would help."

"I hope you don't mean 'feed on her daughter'," Emmett pipes in, laughter clear in his voice as everyone else stares at him with no emotion. "Oh come on, it's what we were all thinking, right? Edward… prove me right."

"Regardless of what we were thinking, Emmett, your joke was distasteful," Carlisle laments before he turns to face his entire family. "Edward is going to bring Isabella up to the main house when it is time for Elizabeth's next feeding. We will all be here to ensure that things go well. Bella deserves the chance to be with her daughter."

"She didn't even want her at first," Rosalie argues as Carlisle snaps at her to be quiet. "You heard her tell Edward weeks ago that she didn't want her. Why should we trust her?"

"She's proven herself, Rosalie," Edward counters, his voice ripe with anger. "She regrets her previous thoughts about giving her daughter away and she is bound and determined to be the best mother she can. She has put up with all of your ridiculous rules, and sat on the deck for hours, just hoping for a glimpse of her daughter. I'm done with you thinking you know what's best. You're not Elizabeth's mother," Edward growls at her furiously as Rosalie stomps her way out of the house and jumps off the back deck before heading into the wilderness, desperate to get away from the house.

Emmett shakes his head in frustration at Edward, knowing full well that he hurt Rosalie with his statement. It's long been an issue for Rosalie that she is unable to be a mother; the choice having been taken away from her when Carlisle changed her back in Rochester decades earlier. However, the family had also decided not to discuss the issue with Rosalie, but Edward wanted her to realize that Bella is Elizabeth's mother, and not Rosalie. Even though Rosalie and Esme have been her primary caregivers, he can't allow it to go on forever. Emmett follows his wife into the forest, as Edward sits down on the couch and rubs his face with his hands.

"I know, it was the wrong thing to say," Edward sighs.

"True, but she needed to hear it. She acts like Elizabeth is hers, and I honestly think that the sooner we get Bella and Elizabeth together, the better it will be for Rose in the long run," Esme says reassuringly as she sits beside Edward and rubs her hand against his knee. "Why don't you go get Bella? We'll be fine with just the five of us here to watch over their meeting, alright?"

~*HOS*~

Bella is curled up on the couch, and is 150 pages into Wuthering Heights, when Edward comes through the front door of the cottage with a huge smile on his face. She doesn't want to get her hopes up, but Bella can't help the feeling of excitement that grows in her.

"Do you want to go hold your daughter?" he asks, as Bella leaps off the couch and wraps her legs around his waist as he catches her. He's tempted to lean in and kiss her, something that has gone through his mind repeatedly over the past week, but he refrains, and sets her down on the ground with his grin still firmly in place.

"You're not kidding right? This isn't April first, is it?" Bella asks enthusiastically as Edward laughs at her.

"No, it's late February not April, and no, I'm not kidding. Come on." Edward grabs for her hand and they easily entwine their fingers as they head up to the main house together.

As they go, he explains to her that Rosalie and Emmett left because Rose doesn't agree that Bella should be entrusted to spend time with her daughter, but everyone else has faith in her. Needless to say, Bella now feels anxious about going up to the house knowing that Edward and Carlisle had to fight hard for her to get time with her daughter.

"Are you sure this is alright?"

"I'm positive, now stop wasting time. Beth is currently sleeping, but Carlisle wanted to see how you would handle going into her room first, and then when she wakes up we'll work on holding her, alright?" Bella nods her head and when they reach the house, she pauses briefly.

"Thank you, Edward," she whispers before she plants a soft kiss on his cheek just as Esme opens the patio door to welcome them in.

With Carlisle leading, Bella and Edward follow him into the room that has been Elizabeth's bedroom for the past few weeks. Bella can hardly believe that it's been almost two months since her daughter was born, but when she looks at her lying in her small crib, she can see how much she has grown. She stands beside Edward, watching her tiny doppelganger as she sleeps easily, but she can tell Carlisle, Alice and Jasper are all anxious about her proximity to her daughter. However, Bella stays still; wanting to appreciate the moment for what it is - her first real visit with her baby.

"You are having no reaction?" questions Jasper softly, not wanting to wake the baby. Bella motions for everyone to step outside the room, and when they do, Bella shakes her head.

"There's nothing. I want to hold her and snuggle her, but as for an urge to bite her… nope," Bella answers simply as they all follow her into the living room. Esme is sitting beside the baby monitor, listening for any sounds, and when Bella comes back into the room, Esme is pleased by the results.

"We'll try again when she wakes, alright?" Carlisle states, as everyone readily agrees.

They sit around for half an hour, Esme and Alice sharing stories about Beth so that Bella gets to learn more about her child. Though Edward has been visiting Beth every night and giving her frequent bottles, he doesn't get to truly see her in action like the rest of the family. Then again, it's not like she's very active at almost two months old. However, the rest of the family has watched Beth grow and change, something Bella now regrets missing, as Edward can tell. When Esme recounts Beth's first bath, Edward is certain that Bella would cry if she had the ability to, but instead she just seems distant.

Just as Esme finishes her story, Beth's cries are heard through the monitor. Esme and Alice immediately stand, both ready to rush to get the baby. "Why don't you go get Elizabeth, Esme?" Carlisle suggests, and she quickly leaves the room to fetch the child.

When she returns, Beth is clutching onto a small stuffed giraffe and making cooing noises. Needless to say, Bella is entranced. With Alice and Edward flanking her sides, and Jasper and Carlisle directly behind her, Esme tentatively lays Elizabeth into Bella's arms. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief when nothing happens, with the exception of Bella and Edward both smiling in excitement.

"I did it," Bella says quietly, as Edward brushes some of Elizabeth's soft hair from her forehead. Bella can't seem to get past just how adorable and precious her daughter is. Beth looks exactly like Bella did at her age, but they are complete opposites now. Beth is the soft to Bella's hard. The tiny to her large. The live to her dead. "I'm having no reaction at all. When I saw those hikers, I was thirsty, but there's nothing right now… just…"

"Just love," Esme states proudly as Bella looks up at her with an enormous smile. Bella nods and rocks Beth gently in her arms, unable to stop cooing and talking baby gibberish to the tiny girl. "I'm going to get her a bottle."

Esme steps away, but Carlisle takes her place in front of Bella, choosing to err on the side of caution. "I'm fine, I promise." Bella tries to ease their concern, but she knows that only time and continued exposure to her daughter will do that, and hopefully she will continue to see Beth regularly now.

"You are doing great," Edward offers proudly as Beth offers them a crooked smile and a small grunt. "Now, how about feeding her? Do you think you can handle that?"

Everyone pauses to sniff the now sour smelling air, and Jasper is the first to speak what they are all already thinking. "How about changing a diaper? Do you think you can handle that first? Please… handle that first."

**One of the reasons I slacked on updating this story was because I was writing a one shot for the Let's Do Anal Contest. Yes... that's what it's called. You can find it on FFN as an author listed as LDA Anon TwiFic Contest. Risbee and beachcomberlc tell me it's very dirty. I can't tell you which one it is, but go enjoy all the entries.**


	16. Chapter 16

**The lovely beachcomberlc makes this shit look good, and she claimed I left this chapter as a cliffy. I don't think so though LOL. **

**I don't own Twilight. I do have a new bed and some kickass maple syrup fudge though.**

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_Chapter 16_

The cool winter nights are beginning to give way to sunshine and spring rain showers as February turns to March. Each day, Bella spends more and more time with her daughter, much to the discontent of Rosalie, who skulks around the house glaring at everyone who is supportive of Bella, which is basically everyone now.

Since the first day that Bella held her daughter, everything has gone very smoothly for the most part. The family has been gracious in letting her come and go as she pleases in the main house, and slowly but surely, Bella is getting the hang of being a mother. The bathing, changing, crying, smiling and napping are now becoming a part of Bella's daily routine. However, no one has broached the topic of the baby moving down to the cottage or Bella moving into the main house yet, but it's something that is currently rolling around in Bella's mind.

"Penny for your thoughts," Edward says as he creeps up behind Bella who is currently sitting outside the cottage, while Elizabeth is asleep for the evening at the main house.

"You would have scared me if it wasn't for this superhero type hearing I now have," Bella smiles as Edward takes a seat in the chair beside her, both of them looking up at the house. "I was thinking about moving."

"As in… moving to Portland, Paraguay or Paris, or as in moving to the main house?" Edward questions, anxiously. He figured this day would come soon enough, but he's really hoping Bella is thinking about the latter rather than choosing to leave them. He understands that she is bonding wonderfully with her daughter, but he is not ready for her to go, especially considering he hasn't told her about his burgeoning feelings for her and Beth.

"I don't think I'm ready to live on my own, but I think I'm ready to live with Beth full time. Do you think I'm prepared for that?" Bella questions, her focus on Edward as she watches his every move. In the past few weeks, she's noticed that he has been a little different, and not in a bad way. If anything, his passionate concern for both her and Beth is endearing to her and she finds him even more attractive than she did previously.

"I think that perhaps we should have a trial run. Did you want to stay in the cottage or the main house?"

"Well, I hate that I have been a burden on your life and you've been stuck babysitting me for the past few months-"

"Did I ever say I disliked having you around? No. So don't go thinking that. I rather enjoy having you in my life and house," Edward interrupts, determined to set Bella straight because the last thing she has been is a burden.

"I think I'd prefer to have Beth live in the cottage with us, if you'll have us, that is. Plus, I think it would be good for Rosalie to have some separation. I truly appreciate everything she's done for Beth, but I'm tired of her giving me the evil eye whenever I spend time with my child."

Edward breathes out a small sigh of relief because he truly hoped that Bella would want to continue to live in the cottage with him. He knows that convincing the family will take a bit of time, but if they take their time with the move and make it a gradual change, he thinks everyone will adjust easily. Well, he certainly hopes Rosalie will adjust easily that is, but he's fully expecting her wrath.

***~HOS~***

Needless to say, when Edward and Bella talk to the family the next morning about having Beth over for a sleepover that night, with the plan to be to have her move down there permanently, Rosalie is the only person to object.

"I don't think Bella is ready for this," Rosalie states firmly as Edward watches as Jasper rolls his eyes. "Sure, you think that the last few weeks have been great because Bella hasn't hurt Beth, but what happens when they are alone?"

"We won't be alone," Bella counters. "Edward will be with us. Do you trust him to make sure we're safe? Because I do." Edward feels buoyed by Bella's comment, but Rosalie simply scoffs.

The family continues to discuss the situation and everyone, with the exception of Rosalie, is in full agreement. Alice eagerly bounces down to the cottage and begins formulating plans for redecorating the spare bedroom into a nursery, while Bella and Edward fetch Beth from her crib and prepare her morning bottle. Rosalie watches them intently from the living room before grabbing Emmett and forcing him out for a hunt with her. When they have left, Esme is quick to defend her pseudo-daughter.

"She's just having a rough time of it, right now. I promise things will get better," Esme advises as she watches Edward feed Beth in the rocking chair in the bedroom, while Bella picks out a cute spring dress for her to wear. "She's never fully come to grips with the fact that she can't have a child. I think she thought this was her one chance and that you would leave without Beth."

"Why would she think that?" Bella asks, as she sets a pink dress on the edge of the crib and begins looking for tights in a dresser drawer.

"On the first night, you said you didn't want her," Esme replies as Edward shoots his mother figure the evil eye.

They had discussed not letting it slip to Bella that they had heard her admit that she didn't want the child initially, but clearly Esme had forgotten. Bella looked at her incredulously and then darted her eyes to Edward, assuming he had told her secret. "Darn it. Edward didn't tell us. Super vampire hearing, remember? We can hear through the walls. Surely you've adjusted to that by now, right?"

Bella nodded her head softly as the realization hits her. What she told Edward in confidence was never truly in confidence because they could all hear her. Bella offers Edward a small smile, hoping he understands that she is grateful he never revealed her secret; she did that all on her own.

"I went through some tough times while I was pregnant, and discovered that the father didn't want the baby; nor did he want me. Needless to say, I thought about all the options including giving her away for adoption. Now though… I'm glad things happened the way they have. I love Beth and I think I'm adjusting to motherhood well, considering the circumstances," Bella admits to Esme, who is smiling brightly at her. Esme approaches and offers Bella a gentle hug.

"You are doing better than well, Bella. Don't doubt your abilities, okay?"

"Okay," Bella replies as Edward lifts Beth up to burp her, and she offers him a very loud burp followed by a big smile. "That's my girl-burping in his face like a champ."

~*HOS*~

Later that night, Bella and Edward have settled in the cottage for the evening. With some direction from Esme, they have bathed her, played with her and even put little Beth to bed for the night after giving her a bottle. With Alice directing him, Jasper carried her bed down from the main house and put it in the spare bedroom. Of course, Rosalie wanted no part of helping, and made Emmett follow suit, even though he thinks she is being ridiculous.

"So, Alice told me she is going to order a new crib for here, and keep the other at the main house in case they need to babysit in the future," Edward tells Bella after they close the door behind them. Bella suggested they use a baby monitor, but Edward reminded her that with their super hearing, they will hear if Beth rolls around even just a little, so they opt to go without one.

"She's going to go overboard, isn't she?"

"Of course she will; she's Alice," Edward laughs as they fall onto the couch beside each other and Edward drapes his arm over Bella's shoulder. It just happens; he didn't plan it, but the fact that she doesn't move away energizes him. Bella sighs and curls into his side as they listen to the rain fall outside, the house silent otherwise.

"So, other than hunting down bad guys and killing them for sport," Bella jokes as Edward groans, "what do you do for fun?"

"First of all, I don't kill them for sport. Secondly, I think it all depends on what your idea of fun is." Edward watches as Bella absentmindedly twirls strands of her long, chestnut hair between her fingers.

"Okay, so I know you like to read, listen to classical music and brood. What about the rest of the family, what do they do to pass the time since we can't sleep?" Bella asks, as Edward clears his throat and offers her a small smile.

"They are all different. Jasper is a history buff and loves anything to do with the civil war, whereas Alice is obsessed with shopping and fashion, which you've noticed. Carlisle, when he's not at the hospital, is usually delving into our history and Esme loves redecorating and designing." Bella notices that Edward doesn't mention Rosalie and Emmett, and when she questions him, he knows that if he could, he would blush. "They spend most of their time…how do I say this tactfully… being intimate?"

"They spend all their time having sex?" Bella asks incredulously before she slaps her hand over her mouth to silence herself, remembering that there is a baby sleeping in the other room. "Doesn't that get boring?"

"Not for vampires, no. When you've found your mate, there's nothing you want more, other than blood, than to spend all your time fornicating," Edward explains as Bella's eyes grow wide.

"So, Emmett and Rosalie are mates, and they spend all their time fucking?" Edward nods his head as Bella turns to look at him. "So if Alice and Jasper, and then Esme and Carlisle, are all mates do they spend all their time having sex too?"

"And now you know why I live down here by myself. I can only handle them in small doses when they are like that, which is often."

"So why don't you have a mate yet?" Bella questions as Edward shrugs his shoulders casually. "I mean, you are a good-looking guy, you're very nice and polite, and you're unexpectedly awesome with Beth. Other than the whole vampire thing, how come you haven't been scooped up?"

"I just haven't been."

"Aren't there others like us… women vampires… you have been interested in?"

"Not really. We have friends up in Alaska and one of them, Tanya, showed an interest once, but I didn't return her affection. We're just better off as friends, you know?" Bella nods, understanding full well. "I think I might be changing my mind about finding a mate though."

"Tanya?" Bella asks as Edward shakes his head.

"You."


	17. Chapter 17

**Big thanks to beachcomberlc for her beta skills. She makes this shit work.**

**I don't own Twilight. Never have, never will. **

**More information at the end.**

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_Chapter 17_

"Me?" Bella replies, shocked by Edward's blunt admission.

She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought of him in a more romantic way. Being in such close quarters with such an attractive man for the past three months has done nothing to dissuade her feelings for him. In fact, over the last few weeks she has felt like they were both parenting Beth, and that fact alone has affected her libido because Edward is simply excellent to her daughter. "I'm kind of surprised."

"Why? You're beautiful, smart and very forgiving. I mean, not many people would forgive me for what I've done to you. However, I'd be a very lucky man if you were interested me in a romantic sense." Edward pauses, hoping that Bella will chime in and confirm that she too has feelings for him, but she says nothing.

Before Edward can get himself all worked up and frustrated for admitting that he cares for her, Bella grabs the front of his shirt and pulls him down to her for a passionate kiss.

Though his body is hard, Bella is surprised at how pliable his mouth is. She is also amazed by how quickly Edward wraps his arms tightly around her and pulls her onto his lap, their lips never once separating. When he does pull away, it is to pepper kisses down the side of her throat as his hands move down to cup her ass, moving her against his obvious erection. He's very bold and aggressive and Bella likes it. In fact, she can't get over how different he is from Jared, the only other man she has ever cared for in a romantic way.

"Oh God…how long have you felt this way?" Bella asks as she drops her head back and Edward kisses upwards to her chin as his hands knead her ass roughly, causing her to moan out loudly. Edward silences her with another kiss.

"Keep your voice down a bit, beautiful. We don't want to wake Beth. As for how long I have wanted you…a while," he murmurs softly against her skin, as he struggles to maintain some semblance of composure. "I couldn't help but fall for you, Bella."

Bella pauses and pushes her hand against his chest, causing Edward to lean back against the couch, his breathing labored as he takes a deep breath to calm himself slightly. All this making out and grinding with Bella is not an everyday occurrence for Edward, and he knows he is in over his head.

"What about all this 'mate' stuff? What if some vampire woman comes along and you can't resist her because she's meant to be your mate? What happens to me then?" Bella questions, her voice fraught with anxiety.

From the moment Bella determined she was developing feelings for Edward, the worry that he could leave her for someone who was meant for him had been nagging at her. Carlisle and Edward had both told her about concept of a 'singer', a human whose blood appeals to a vampire to an extreme extent, and she worried that Edward would find this person and immediately reject her.

With his fingers dancing lightly against the side of her cheek, Edward does his best to reassure Bella of his feelings for her. "I've talked to Carlisle about it and we both think that you are my mate, Bella. You are the one person who was meant for me and there will never be anyone as perfect for me as you are. I was intrigued by you back at the bar, but I had to keep my distance because of who I am and what I was doing there. Had I been closer to you, I think I would have known you were my singer."

"But when you found me unconscious…" Edward lifts his hands to her mouth to silence her, but Bella slips one of his fingers into her mouth and traces it lightly with her tongue, causing Edward to jerk his hips up into her involuntarily.

"Okay, stop for a second…" Bella releases his finger and Edward kisses her lips sweetly before continuing on with his theory. "Carlisle and I believe that I ignored my reaction to your blood because I was in the middle of some sort of rush from dealing with Marcus, and my brain couldn't process it. It's like…I can hear hundreds of voices in my head, but I need to focus on one for me to figure out what is being said. I had so much going on – killing Marcus, keeping you alive, keeping the baby alive – I just couldn't let myself think about your blood."

"So you think I'm your mate, right?" Bella questions, as Edward nods his head. "And that means we're meant to be together for eternity?"

"Yeah, I think so. Do you think you can handle that?"

"I don't know. You seem very high maintenance," Bella jokes as Edward kisses her neck once more, while his fingers tickle her sides, causing her to cry out with laughter. When Edward finally lets her calm down, Bella wastes no time yanking Edward's shirt off over his head. "Is it cheesy if I tell you that you've been running through my mind all month long?"

"A little," Edward replies as Bella kisses across his collarbone and then down his neck. Her hands drop in between them and she deftly begins to undo his belt, when Edward's hands stop her. "Umm… there is something you need to know, and you have to know it in no way means I am not attracted to you."

"Well, that's a shitty way to start off a conversation, especially given the last few minutes, but ok… what is it?"

"First of all, I apologize for how aggressive I was with you a moment ago. This is all kind of new to me and I got a bit carried away. Secondly, I'm a virgin," Edward blurts out uncomfortably, as Bella's mouth drops open in surprise. "You weren't expecting that huh?"

"Not even close," she answers with a small smile. "I was actually expecting you to tell me you were waiting for marriage or something archaic like that." Edward looks anxiously at Bella, because those were going to be his next words to her. However, because she has belittled his belief in waiting, he can't help but feel apprehensive, and she can sense this. "Oh shit, you are waiting for marriage, aren't you?"

"You were born in the late 1980's, Bella. I was born in 1901. Expectations were very different back then. It was very taboo to have sex with your intended before marriage. Obviously, it's not the same now, but I'm a traditional kind of guy," Edward reluctantly admits.

"Well, it seems we're at an impasse, because I'm not a particularly traditional kind of girl," Bella replies as she peels her own shirt off, leaving her in just jeans and bra. "I've had sex… obviously… and I want it again, as soon as possible, with you. However, if I have to take matters into my own hands, I'm not against that either."

Bella smirks mercilessly at Edward before lifting her hands behind her back to unclasp her bra, letting it fall to the floor beside them. Edward sits slack jawed, his eyes glued to her firm breasts and pink nipples, while Bella determined that though Edward has his beliefs, it doesn't mean that all is lost.

"Just because we can't go all the way, doesn't mean we can't have a little bit of fun, does it?"

"Um… no," Edward chokes out as Bella grasps his hands in hers and raises them to her breasts, making sure he gives them both a strong squeeze. Her hips rock and back and forth against him, urging him on, while he continues to hold her breasts in silence.

"I am going to have fun trying to corrupt you," Bella muses as she presses her lips against Edward's once more. She effortlessly climbs from his lap and dances toward the bedroom with a grin on her face. "Are you coming with me?"

Edward quickly follows her into the bedroom, where Bella is now sprawled out on the bed in her only her jeans. Though Edward had no real use for the bed before, he can't help but find himself excited that he let Alice purchase it. Bella pats the bed softly beside her and Edward tentatively climbs up, before she slips herself right against his bare chest, kissing the spot on his chest where his heart should be beating.

Sensing that Edward needs a little encouragement, Bella kisses him desperately, while rolling onto her back, bringing him on top of her and between her spread legs. "Just do what feels natural," she instructs him as he rolls his hips against her and presses his very obvious erection against her overheated body. They both moan as Bella pulls Edward's face down to hers, kissing him madly as Edward pulls away and leans down to suck one of her nipples into his mouth.

"Oh…that's good," Bella purrs, driving Edward on. With Bella's encouragement and her rather lascivious words, Edward can't seem to stop himself from helping her reach the pinnacle of pleasure. His hips grind against her, his cock hard and aching with every press against her warmth, and his lips suck and nip at every inch of skin he can reach. When Bella reaches down to undo his belt and pants, slipping her hand inside his jeans to stroke his cock, he can't find it in himself to stop her. In fact, he finds himself pumping into her hand mere seconds later, a loud growl falling from his lips as he comes.

"Oh god," Edward groans as Bella smirks proudly at him. "That was…"

"So much better with a partner huh?" Bella jokes as she slips her hand from Edward's pants and cleans it off with a Kleenex before undoing her own pants and sliding her hand inside, desperate for release.

"Let me help you with that," Edward murmurs quietly as Bella nods his head and begins to peel off her pants. She lets them drop to the floor beside the bed, and Edward looks at her anxiously before Bella grabs his hand and puts it right against the wet fabric of her panties. He begins to rub tentatively and when Bella presses her hand against his, wanting him to be firmer in his touch, Edward tenses.

"It's better if you are under the fabric," Bella advises him as Edward's eyes grow wide. "Try it… please?"

Edward doesn't need any further prompting. If he thinks it will help Bella come, he's all for it, with the exception of actual penetration, for now. Trying to act all confident, Edward reaches up and pulls her panties from her small body, as Bella spreads her legs wide for him to have better access. Within seconds, his fingers are exploring every inch of her pussy – flicking, rubbing and squeezing – her clit as Bella writhes and moans under his ministrations.

Feeling emboldened, Edward slips one long finger inside her, as Bella bucks up against his hand and her cries become louder. As Bella fists the comforter beneath her, Edward continues to fuck her with his finger before adding a second, finally driving her over the edge.

As she struggles to relax, Beth begins to cry from the other room. Edward doesn't think twice before slipping some clean shorts on and leaving to go get the little girl he's beginning to consider his daughter. Sure, she's not his flesh and blood, but she means the world to him and he would adopt her in a heartbeat if he could.

"Hey beautiful, what's going on?" Edward asks as he approaches her crib and sees her fussing. He can immediately smell the issue and sets about changing her diaper, as he hears Bella slip in behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she presses her head against his back.

"You are awesome with her. Thank you," Bella says softly.

"It's easy to love her," Edward answers as he finishes clasping Beth's onesie and picks her up, cradling her gently in his arms. "She looks just as beautiful as her mother, and she smiles at me like I hung the moon." Bella curls into his side and they both look down at the small child, unable to stop their own smiles. "I think if we were married, everything would be perfect in my life. Beautiful wife, lovely daughter… it's more than I ever thought I'd have."

"Is this your half-assed way of proposing to me?" Bella asks with a grin. "We haven't even been on a date."

"I'll have to rectify that as soon as possible then, won't I?"

* * *

**So, this is kind of bittersweet for me, but this is the end of the road for me and this story. I've seen the best and worst in the fandom in the four years that I have been here. I've met some of the most wonderful people, both online and in real life, during my time here, but I've hit a wall and just have no more words left in me.**

******Will I be finishing Heart of Stone?** No... I won't. I am utterly stuck with this story. I think. Sure, it's technically unfinished, but it's not like I am leaving it with a cliffy. I will be posting a one shot tonight. Then that's it.

**Will I be gone completely? **No. I'm still reading and reviewing, like usual, just not as often.

**Where can you find me? **I'll always be on twitter as coldplaywhore being my usual sarcastic self. My facebook account, coldplaywhore words, will remain active for the time being though I can't tell you when I was on there last. You can also find me under my real life twitter name LynnGood77. Cat's out of the bag, my real name is Lynn. LOL

**Wait... you have a real life twitter? Does this mean you are writing fiction?** Nope. It doesn't. When I say I'm stuck, I mean it. I have no fiction, whether fan fiction or otherwise, in me right now.

**Will I be pulling any of my stories?** Nope. You want them... you got them. Just don't steal them and say they are yours. I will be watching. LOL

**Will I write again?**You never know what will happen. Several years ago when I discovered the books and movies that are Twilight I never thought I would be here for four years. They helped me get through a difficult time in my life and it led to me finding Fan Fiction. I am forever thankful that I found Wide Awake by AG003 recommended over on a Twilight Fan Page, otherwise it never would have led me to all of you.

**So, thank you. It's been a wonderful ride, and you will all forever hold a special place in my heart. **

**coldplaywhore out!**


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